Gnui Roger

My name is Gnui and I am from Cote d'Ivoire. Growing up, I encountered a lot of challenges because of the separation of my parents when I was just two years old. I stayed with my mother who was a petty trader, I had to join her and work in the market sometimes with my siblings to make ends meet! In addition to the financial struggles, I lost my brother, and this news turned my life upside down.

One of the Young Life volunteers invited me to attend a Young Life club. After many invitations, I decided to attend and see what Young Life was all about. My first club was amazing. The innovations they used throughout touched me a lot. I was a Christian, but it was my first time of seeing and enjoying such love from a stranger. I didn't wait to be invited to the club again, I started inviting my friends too. Eventually, I was trained as a leader, and later became a team leader. As a leader of the youth in my church, I have introduced Young Life and our styles of leading people to Christ, and it is working well for us and impacting many kids.

A few days before I learned that I would be a Developing Global Leader, my mother and I had been discussing the dire situation of how to pay my university fees. She was tearful and discouraged but we prayed. We are beyond happy and grateful for this opportunity to be a Developing Global Leader. This is indeed an answered prayer from God. I will attending the Institute University of Abidjan to study law and diplomacy and be a lawyer to fight against all forms of discrimination and help establish justice in my community.