Thabiso

My name is Thabiso, but my friends call me Pinkie. I live in Mokopane, South Africa, with my mother, little brother and my son. My mother is currently unemployed. When I was nine years old, my father passed away. We had to move back to my grandmother’s house because my father had not married my mother. At home, we were only eating twice a day, so I started gambling to buy food. However, my life changed when I heard about Young Life from my aunt. I started going to Young Life clubs for the fun, but did not listen to the talks until I went to camp. I accepted Jesus Christ into my life at Young Life camp. Since that time, I have been on a journey of faith in Jesus, knowing that I am forgiven and that I will spend eternity with Him in heaven. I finally have peace and purpose in my life. Jesus changed my life. My faith has led me to a church that I love, and I am now an area Young Life club leader for Mokopane high school and middle school students. As a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I am studying education at Edutel University in Roodepoort, South Africa. I will be the first person in my family to graduate from university. Being involved in Young Life has given me the desire to get a diploma in teaching so that I can change the lives of other young kids and help them succeed. When I graduate, I want to be a teacher and inspire a lifelong love of learning in others.