When the first-year girls joined Neema, they looked lonely and isolated, and most of them were self-centered and wore a face of worry and sadness. But since then, they’ve started looking bright, and a few are even beginning to wear smiles on their faces.
Read MoreJust a few weeks ago, Florence was crowned Miss Neema 2022 at our annual Fashion Show. And today, she’s preparing to take her highest national dressmaking certification exam before graduating. "I now believe that truly God cannot forget his children. I cannot believe that he has made me who I am today,” Florence says. But life did not always look so bright.
Read MoreJackie Birungi, one of Neema’s counselors, is living out her great passion of “putting a smile on somebody’s face” in a profession where genuine smiles are hard earned but a definite sign of hope for the future.
Read MoreNow that she’s back in school, Sarah’s father says that she has hope. Because he didn’t have the money to pay for school fees, Sarah was supposed to just stay home. But after they heard about Neema and she started, it has transformed her in terms of education and good health, and he’s grateful for that. His desire is for Sarah to have hope and a bright future.
Sarah says she is grateful to God for bringing her to Neema because she knows after she is done with school she will have to give a helping hand to the father who does everything single handedly.
Read MoreDuring one-on-one counseling, a first year student asked me to teach her how to love because she doesn't know how to receive or give love. She had never been hugged in her life, and she was not [open] to being hugged in the first sessions of individual counseling. I asked her if she could allow me to demonstrate it through listening and giving her a hug twice a day in the morning and in the evening. By the end of the week, she looked brighter and had learned to hug with ease.
Read MoreI have learned to love unconditionally, and this has helped me extend it to the young women at Neema and the people I encounter without passing judgment…. We do trauma counseling at Neema to help our students to spiritually, physically, emotionally, and psychologically address their personal experiences and come to terms with and recover from traumatic events by becoming survivors and knowing their true identity and worth.
Read MoreThis year, we gave time to each guardian to say something to their girl as she graduated. It was the most emotional time for me that day: To hear fathers and mothers tell their daughters that they are proud of them and that they love them. Especially that part. You see, in this culture here in Kitale, it is not common for a parent to tell their child that they love them. Love is shown in other ways but not usually expressed in touch or words.
Read MoreDespite all these barriers, girls and women hold incredible potential. We believe that each one is valuable. She has opinions that should be listened to. She has ideas that can change her family.
Read MoreAs our 30 new and returning students settle into life at Neema, our prayer is that they’d know beyond all doubt that they’re loved, especially as they begin processing and healing from past wounds and building trusting relationships. Third-year student Jentrix says, "I have learned to stay with people while at Neema. I used to rarely share with others and lived in isolation. But I have learned to smile from Neema and I am so excited that God has changed me so much - I feel completely different."
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