Neema

My name is Neema, and I live in the capital city of Malawi, Lilongwe, with my mother, aunt, brother, and two sisters. Growing up with a single mother, we faced constant financial struggles with food and school fees, but my mother always worked hard and encouraged us to pray to God for guidance and provision. My biological father rejected me at birth and his family never supported my mother, making her efforts even more heroic in my eyes. Despite these challenges, I thrived in school thanks to the motivation from my mother and teachers.

My life truly changed during high school when I attended a Young Life outreach camp. There, I experienced the wonders and beauty of God, realizing that He was always with me through every hardship. This revelation convinced me that God is a father to everyone. When I experienced a health scare that left half of my face paralyzed, my mother’s faith in God became our anchor and I began to recover, deepening my faith even further. I determined to help others experience God's love and power, leading me to volunteer as a Young Life leader.

I am now part of the Developing Global Leaders program, which allows me to pursue a degree in accounting at Malawi College of Accountancy, fulfilling my mother’s dream of seeing her daughter graduate from university. I aspire to be a successful, God-fearing, and independent woman and want to help other kids who have the desire to study but lack the means.