Nomfanelo Rhoda

My name is Nomfanelo, and I live in Mpolonjeni, Eswatini, with both of my parents and three siblings. In 2015, my father lost his well-paying job, plunging our family into hardships and poverty. There were struggles to provide for our needs and pay tuition fees and God provided through family and friends. My father has since found a good-paying job, but we are still working to pay off debts incurred during our difficult times. These hardships brought pain, confusion, and depression, especially for my mother.

My journey with Jesus began in Sunday school, but I got to know Him personally through Scripture during those years of hardship. Over the years I have grown in faith through various opportunities. I connected with Young Life through fellow students, who introduced me to the program and now I am a volunteer leader in my community.

As a part of the Developing Global Leaders program, I am currently studying theology at Eswatini College of Theology. I want to help people on their journey of faith process life’s traumas. Being introduced to Young Life revealed to me the joy and fun of serving Christ. It showed me that creating a positive atmosphere can help people heal from their pains and experience God’s presence. My vision for my education is to complete a PhD in Christian Education or Christian Business and become an expert in theology and psychology. I aspire to be a social worker or Christian psychologist and use my experiences with poverty and depression to help others in similar situations.