My name is Oder Alii and I want to share about how my life has changed.
Before coming to this farming project with Ignite Change, I was working at a washing bay [washing vehicles, motorcycles, etc.]. Somedays, we would get customers and other days we wouldn’t get any. On a day where we had no customers, I would try and find casual work elsewhere. If I could find no work, there was a chance I wouldn’t eat that day. I would ask my friends to share what they had if they made any money that day, and sometimes they would share. I struggled so much with life. I did all of this just to survive. But that is how the world is.
Life was too hard. So I started smoking cigarettes and marijuana, doing cocaine, and drinking alcohol. When I took these drugs, my brain would not function properly. I would find myself doing unusual things that was not like me.
Then one day, one of my workmates ‘Ghetto Boy’ told me about an upcoming project. That I should show interest and see if I could be selected. I went and was chosen to be one of the members. This program is a very good one and it will surely change our lives. Things are moving on well. We are staying in a group and we are guaranteed that we will eat food every day.
From the training we’ve gone through, I decided to change my life. I’ve now left all the drugs and alcohol that I used to do. I gave my life to Christ. I accepted Jesus to be my personal Lord and Savior and I want to live a life that is worthy before Christ.
Now, that I have changed my life, everything is really nice. The future is bright. I am getting a lot from the group of beneficiaries and from the organization that is supporting us. I want others to change their life in the same way I have changed mine. I know the people that [were not selected in this group] have been doing what I was doing – taking drugs and alcohol. I want to tell them that I have escaped and left those things. That they should change and leave those things that I was doing with them. My life now is very good. I want to tell them, for me, that I have changed my life. I have changed everything – I am now doing a new thing. I want them to be like me and leave all the old things and begin doing new things. I am not going to go back to the life that I was living before.
-Alii
Alii is 1 of 11 boys participating in our new Paul Project. We have already seen changes in the boys' lives. Sometimes it a big change - like getting a new brother in Christ, Alii. Which we get to celebrate with them! Other times, its a smaller change - someone smiling that used to always have a frown. If you are interested in partnering with one of these boys and changing lives, please click here. We need 9 more partners for this project to be fully supported.
Thank you,
Emily Johns