Neema Yasinthi’s Story: A Safe Place to Begin Again

Eighteen-year-old, Neema has already been through many hard life experiences that have forced her to grow up too soon.  (Neema is a popular name for people, hospitals, orphanages and churches.  Neema means Grace.)

Neema’s life began to change when she was still in school and her mother became seriously ill. Her mother needed frequent medical care so she and her father would travel to Arusha with her mother for treatment.

During this difficult period, Neema, a very young and beautiful school girl, met a man who worked at the hospital as a security guard. He approached her, and they began a relationship.

After her mother’s death, her father took Neema and her two younger siblings back to Moshi,. But life became more difficult there, Neema eventually had to leave school and return to Arusha in search of work.

She found a job at a hotel and worked there for some time. Neema was pregnant when her relationship with the security guard became increasingly painful. He was a heavy drinker and would often come home drunk. He verbally abused her, physically assaulted her, and sometimes chased her out of the house.

Eventually, Neema was forced to leave.

She was pregnant, had no stable income, and did not know where to go. She turned to a friend for help. Her friend allowed her to stay with her for a while, but when her friend’s husband began to make advances Neema became frightened and knew she had to leave.

With nowhere else to go, Neema remembered an older man she had worked with at the hotel. She had always trusted him and considered him like an older brother. She went to him and explained everything she had been going through. He agreed to let her stay with him.

But this became another difficult situation. After Neema moved in, the older man also began making unwanted advances toward her. Neema was frightened and felt trapped. She was pregnant, had nowhere else to live, and did not know who else she could turn to.

Out of fear and desperation, she accepted the unwanted situation because she felt she had no other option.  (In a country where polygamy is accepted men seem to feel that every woman is fair game.)

Neema sold her phone to have some money to plan for the birth of her baby.

With that money, she was able to rent a small house for herself, and a friend gave her a mattress. But although she now had a place to sleep, the living conditions were very poor. The house was not a safe or healthy environment for a young woman who was heavily pregnant and preparing to give birth.

During this difficult time, Neema began opening up to a nurse at the clinic where she attended her prenatal appointments. She shared what she was going through with the lack of a safe place to live, her difficult circumstances, and her inability to afford the basic items she would need for delivery.

The nurse listened and she became concerned about Neema and the situation she was facing. After Neema gave birth, the social worker at the hospital contacted Neema Village and shared her story with us.

At the time, she was 18 years old, had just become a mother, and was facing serious challenges with very little support. She needed somewhere safe to stay, someone to care for her, and a place where she and her baby could begin life again.

Today, Neema is staying in the MAP houses at Neema Village with her newborn baby girl Briana.   After the birth Neema had become ill and anemic.  At Neema Village she no longer has to face these challenges alone.

During her time with us, she will have a safe place to live and receive the support she needs as she cares for herself and her baby. She will receive counselling to help her process the difficult experiences she has been through and begin healing emotionally.

She will also have opportunities to learn computer skills and sewing skills, giving her practical tools that can help her become more independent in the future.

Most importantly, Neema will take part in Bible studies where she will have an opportunity to learn more about God, grow in her relationship with Him, and learn to trust and fear Him as she begins this new chapter of her life.

Neema’s story is not only about the difficult things she has experienced. It is also about a young mother who kept searching for somewhere safe when every man seemed after her and every door to escape seemed to close.

“Very few people can pull themselves up from such abject poverty alone.”  They need our help and they need to know that God is for them, he has never lost them and learning to trust Him is their first path to Hope. Today at Neema Village, she has a safe place where she is protected. She has people who are willing to walk alongside her.  And she has an opportunity to learn, heal, grow, and build a different future.

If you are interested in learning more about the MAP program and want to support the MAP Program at Neema Village please email Noelle at sponsorship@neemavillage.org