I will live a purposeful life…… Youth Savings Groups make a difference
Story and reporting by Mr. Sunday B. Mamza - Youth Program Officer Uba office
The lesson was being taught to the Glorious youth savings group on “Choosing to live a purposeful life” and the challenge came to Alex personally. He stood up and testified to the group that “I will live a purposeful life and I would like to start a small business that can help my parents and my younger ones”. You see Alex is 17 years old and has faced many challenging situations in life at his young age. His father was a teacher in a private primary school and as a result of the violent extremist insurgency and the resulting displacement of citizens in the area his job was lost.
In his youth savings group in Northeastern Nigeria. He now says he wishes he would have joined the group earlier in life but is moving forward in life with confidence that God will help him reach his goals.
Without a job his father began to struggle to provide for their family and important parts of life like the school fees that were necessary for Alex to get an education became very difficult to pay. His father joined a vigilante group (local citizens who volunteer to act as security for the community) and Alex and his mother struggled to do the farming to get food and money for the family of five children.
Alex joined the Glorious Group a SALT Nigeria youth savings group in his area. The facilitator often encouraged him that his family situation would soon change and when the lesson on living a purposeful life was taught it became very clear to Alex that he must determine in his heart and take the steps necessary to help bring change to his family.