Slavian

My name is Slavian, but my friends call me Evyshania. I live in Shinyalu, Kenya, with my grandmother. My parents divorced when I was nine years old, and my mother could not care for us alone. She did not have a job and my oldest sibling had to drop out of school to help feed us. We faced a lot of challenges; we did not have enough food or clothing or money for school. In her plight, my mother also left us, so my grandmother adopted me. She taught me many valuable life skills including how to socialize with both old and young, and the importance of staying positive even if the environment is hostile. Most of all, she helped me accept the loss of my mother leaving by teaching me to pray.

I learned about Young Life at school and gave my life to Christ at club. My grandmother was also a believer and took me to church, which was vital in shaping my faith as well. I now attend church and am a Young Life leader with middle school girls.

As a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I am studying nursing at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in Kakamega, Kenya. I will be the first person in my family to graduate from university. I want to be a nurse and change my community by serving people.