When Lydiah learned of Neema and its Christian foundations, she was immediately attracted to the organization. As a Christian, she wanted to work in a place that shared her values and empowered young women. Lydiah’s faith has led to strong relationships with the students and staff at Neema. She knows that they are all equal before God, and so she does her best to interact with, love, and care for the young women as God would want.

She says, “When one has hope, she will not give up no matter the challenges she is passing through and when she has self-esteem she will be able to understand herself more and strive to become a better person.” Lydiah believes that when a young woman has self-esteem, she will be able to better understand herself and strive to become a better person. She says that it is through God that the students at Neema are able to find hope and see that there is a future for them, regardless of what their pasts may look like.

“Life was not easy being raised by one parent. We struggled to get good food, have decent clothes and also education.”

Lydiah was raised by her mother after her father passed away while her mother was still pregnant. Life was hard. They struggled for basic needs like food, clothes, and education. She did manage to go to school until grade 12, but was unable to go to college because she lacked the fees. Lydiah enjoyed reading and studying and would’ve loved to attend college. But her experiences allow her to now encourage the students she works with—much like the encouragement she got from family and friends throughout her life.

Lydiah can now support herself, as well as her husband, her three daughters, her mother, and her nephew with her income from Neema. She is grateful for her first full time job, so as a childcare worker at Neema, she always works hard. Through the grace of God, her life has changed, her prayers for work have been answered, and her effort is helping to change the lives of the young women at Neema.

Lydiah helps the Neema children wash their hands before eating lunch.

“My hope is for Neema to have a kindergarten where these babies can be learning and also [welcome] the community babies.”

One of Lydiah’s favorite parts of working with Neema is taking care of the babies and ensuring they are safe. Her job includes overseeing the children of students while their mothers are in class, feeding them, and changing their diapers. She also helps the children who are old enough to learn to read and write. Her dedication not only helps the children of the students grow and learn in a safe environment, but it also helps in allowing their mothers to focus on their studies with the knowledge that their children are safe and cared for.

Lydiah’s love for Neema is great, and she wishes to one day see Neema expand and grow even more. She hopes they can have a kindergarten where the Neema children and children from the community can learn and be cared for. Lydiah’s passion and dedication to her work and to Neema’s mission inspires the staff, students, and the community as a whole to persevere and keep working towards a better future.

Staff Stories: Lydiah