Rehema Nanyonga (Founder and Director, Avid Uganda)
The first time Rehema thought about the purpose of life, she was about 7 years of age. At that time, she was a school drop out only after a year of being in school. Her life was unpredictable because she had no mother, no father, neither sister nor brother. She lived with her step-grandmother who just disliked her and made her a life a living hell.
“I want to change people’s lives.” She thought. “Please God, turn me into an adult now so I can start changing people’s lives. I will not mention it to anyone. It will be our secret” she prayed.
Nothing changed. Life continued still fractured in child abuse but highly favored. She just can’t justify how she is on the other side of her story now. How she managed to study and grow into a zealous minister of God after so much hopelessness. As a teenager, she helped a lot of children in slum communities through her homework support programs. It was through these programs that she realized that a lot of people were underserved in their basic needs of life especially those in rural Uganda where she is currently running her ministry.