Beyond the Classroom: Change Is Spreading Through Community
At Neema, we’ve seen that lasting change means supporting young women at home as well as school.
Students, teachers and counselors come together with guardians, neighbors, churches, and local schools to support healing from all sides.
“I am a mother of a teen and pre-teen children and...I have discovered that I am a permissive parent but after learning the impact this type of parenting style has on my children, I have resolved from today to be intentional in raising up my children effectively...so that I raise up confident, responsible, and socially skilled children who will have positive influence in the society.''
-Guardian attending counseling
Lilian, Class of 2026, and her father
Here are four ways restoration is spreading through the whole community:
Neema is offering parenting workshops for caregivers and members of the community. Parents and guardians have a space to support one another and find new ways of navigating the journey of raising their children.
Neema students find joy and support attending a warm local church. Many students felt like outcasts before joining Neema, and the local church is playing an important role in restoring a sense of community with mentors and neighbors.
Two pilot farms are linking Neema agribusiness students with local families in “living classrooms.” At these pilot farms and in monthly permaculture workshops, students and families discover sustainable farming methods to improve nutrition and even bring additional income at harvest.
Neema’s counselors are also working with two nearby primary schools. Every month, they hold workshops teaching schoolchildren to manage stress, set goals, and build healthy relationships. Our goal is to help more girls stay in school until graduation.
Pamela, one of Neema’s counselors, leads a group counseling session with public school students.
“Neema counseling has helped me...to choose friends wisely, to stay away from any abuse, and to avoid mental stress.”
-Joy, Grade 9, Waitaluk Public School
This community work is supported by the Grace Collective, a team of dedicated individuals committed to expanding opportunity in the region. It’s about standing together and supporting community change. Would you like to join the Grace Collective?
$150 annually can give vegetable seeds and organic fertilizer training to a local family farmer
$230 quarterly can give counselors to the local school to encourage girls to graduate
$35 monthly can give healing resources to a caregiver
If you’d like to join the Grace Collective as a monthly, quarterly, or annual partner—or make a one-time gift to support outreach efforts—you can donate now and give a legacy of healing.
A guardian engages during a counseling session at Neema.