“We thought we were only learning to make clothes, but we learned [so much more]—catering, making bags, how to pray,” Iddah says. “Today I’m a prayerful person. When we got stressed, we could go to counseling. Someone would talk to you and you would be okay. We learned how to live with others peacefully.”
Read MoreNearly half the young women who join Neema are already mothers themselves. Still teenagers, these young moms face deep emotional wounds. With their infants come months of hardship: dropping out of school, finding casual labor, enduring shame and stigma from loved ones, the heartbreak of being abandoned by the child’s father—on top of the exhaustion that comes with all newborns and the challenges of living on less than $2/day in rural Kenya. But hope is not lost. These young mothers have found a place of transformation.
Read MoreBrenda Rewrites Her Narrative: Making a way out of extreme poverty, Brenda found restoration, was equipped to provide for her son, and began a new chapter in her life.
Read MoreTragedy struck Metrine’s family when she was only a child, and growing up in rural Kenya, she faced extreme poverty on a daily basis. But when she was a teenager, Metrine joined Neema, and today she says, “Neema is a symbol of hope. I learned how to pray and be patient through everything in life.”
Read MoreAt the age of sixteen, Susan had to drop out of school because living in extreme material poverty left her parents unable to pay for the necessary school supplies and uniform. Her father is polygamous and lives with his first wife and children.
Read MoreDue to lack of school fees, I had to drop out of school in the year 2009 when I was in seventh grade. During that time my mother got very sick, and my father was not around… I received the good news from Neema that I was among those who were selected. I remembered that I cried tears of joy and gave thanks to God because he had just answered my prayer.
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 More"It was eye-opening to see how different things are done within the same industry. I realized that I can make more money than I thought if I work more on my craft." - Jentrix, 2021 graduate
Read More"I have peace in my heart even when I know things at home are not so well. But I asked God to give my heart peace because I am tired of worrying all the time. I decided to trust him with everything so that I am able to focus."
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