Because life has been difficult for her, Rachel said she would rather get married than go back to living with her step families. Marriage brings status and financial gain into a girl’s family. And while the legal marriage age in Kenya is 18, 23% of girls are married before that age, sometimes against their will (Educating Adolescents Around the Globe). Others, like Rachel, think about it as a way to escape unhealthy households.
Read MoreNeema was able to collaborate with InNOVAtion 一 a team of students Civil Engineers from Villanova University working under the supervision of Dr. Virginia Smith一 to begin the process of getting detailed design ideas for a new, potential “Neema campus,” as well as estimated material and building costs.
Read MoreOne of our first year students, Catherine, recently shared, "Being at Neema is reducing my stress because of the love they are showing me and my child. Ever since I gave birth to my child, no one has loved and accepted us like Neema has."
Read MoreSince Brenda joined Neema in January of 2021, her grandparents have seen a change in her. Her grandfather shared, “Brenda is really responsible and clean. She doesn’t need to be followed around to do her work. Even in her talking, she’s growing and maturing.” Her grandmother says, “Brenda is a great girl. She is disciplined and is an example. When I went away for two weeks to bury my mother, Brenda was left with the other kids, and she was responsible for taking care of them. She is calm.”
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 MoreWatch 3rd year student Winnie M share about her experience in the Neema Fashion Show, her dream of life post-Neema, and how the skills she’s developed have changed these dreams. Because you took action and invested generously in the hopes and dreams of the young women at Neema, young women like Winnie have opportunities they never could have imagined.
Read MoreWorking alongside young women has been my passion. It has been my joy to show love and empathy. I have been able to gain an understanding of the different backgrounds our girls come from and how it affects their behavior, and that has greatly changed how I handle them. My life has been transformed in this encounter with them. Indeed, you cannot give what you do not have. So I seek to gain patience in order to be patient. I seek to have hope in order to give hope. And by working with young women, I’ve realized there is potential in every young woman, especially after they know who they are.
Read MoreWhen first year student Sarah first joined Neema in 2021 with her baby Emmanuel, she was shy, didn’t interact much with the other students, and wouldn’t contribute in the group counseling sessions. Sarah has suffered from rejection and in sixth grade, she became pregnant and had to drop out of school. But since coming to Neema, she told our counselor that she can now see a future and her lost hope is restored: “God has blessed me with Neema where I am loved and listened to."
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