My name is Nardos, and I live in Jigjiga City in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. I was raised by my mother after my father passed away when I was 17 years old. I don’t have any siblings, and my mother has worked hard and prayed faithfully to provide for me, even though she does not have a job. I grew up in the church where my mother serves on the prayer team, and I have been active in the youth ministry, serving through singing. Seeing my mother’s faith and perseverance has inspired me to work hard and trust God through every struggle. Now that she is getting older, I feel a strong responsibility to care for her and to honor the sacrifices she made for me.

My faith journey grew deeper when I was introduced to Young Life by our area director. He invited me to my first club and later to camp, where I experienced God’s love in a new and personal way. Since then, I have been committed to serving God through Young Life. I currently supervise two clubs with around 20 leaders and am involved in high school and WyldLife ministries. Through these experiences—club, camp, and campaigners—I have learned how God transforms lives through community and prayer.

Now a Developing Global Leader, I am to studying management and hope to use my education to transform my community. I am the first person in my family to attend university and after graduation, I plan to continue serving with Young Life and support the ministry full-time.