Tekla

Tekla is a persevering young woman from Mwakaje, a small community on Zanzibar Island. Life as a child was very difficult and her family was very poor. Tekla reflects that there was very little happiness and that food and school fees were scarce.Upon her father’s death, life went from bad to worse for Tekla and her mother as their small farm, livelihood, and belongings were taken by dishonest family members exploiting their desperate situation. With no place to call home, they ended up staying at her grandmother's house as her mother worked to get Tekla through secondary school. Tekla grew up knowing about Jesus throughout her childhood, but shares, “I really came to know Jesus as my Savior and friend through Young Life camp, and I later dove deeper through Campaigners Bible study.” From that time on, life for Tekla began to change. She hopes to share the good news of God with teens in her community as they search for purpose and meaning in their lives. “Uneducated and jobless...this has been my greatest life challenge. As my mother ages, I am the only one to take care of her needs.” Now a Developing Global Leader, Tekla is looking to earn a tourism degree from Zenji Exellence of Tourism, in order to be competitive in the growing tourism industry in Zanzibar. She is committed to praying and studying diligently in order to achieve her goals in life, hoping that this leadership opportunity will change many things for Tekla, her family and her society. Tekla will be the first in her family to graduate from university.