There are times when a single moment changes everything. For Yemi*, that moment came at far too young an age – the day she found out she was pregnant. As the youngest daughter in a large family, her parents struggled to provide for everyone, and as she sat there with her hands in her face, she thought: “How will I ever provide for this child? I’m not ready to be a mother.”
Yemi’s fears were not unfounded. She had seen many young girls walk the same road she now saw laid out in front of her. With a child, she was forced to drop out of school and find something to bring in some money. With little skills and a baby in tow, she knew her options were limited.
It wasn’t long before Yemi found herself on the streets at night, selling her body to buy food for her little boy. But instead of simply being a short-term fix, it became many years of trying to leave and find other work, only to be pulled back into prostitution to make ends meet. She had another child. Her mother got very sick and needed her care. And what was meant to be a temporary, albeit horrible job, became nearly six years of crushing desperation.
But one night, in another of those important moments, Yemi learned about LSM and the staff that was willing to help her get out of prostitution and change her life around. Although she didn’t hardly believe in the chance for that kind of help, she came the next day to learn more and was able to start a journey of radical change with the counseling, financial support and vocational training LSM offers.
That was four years ago. Today, Yemi’s life – and the lives of her two children – look very different. Both of her children are going to school, she’s married to a wonderful man and together, they’re raising their children to follow Jesus – who has redeemed their very hopeless past. And she’s also making purses, helping provide a steady income for her family. She’s a confident, loving woman with a beautiful smile and infectious personality.
She’s whole today because people were willing to step out of their comfortable places and tell her she was worth more than she thought.
You can be a part of this redemption story today too by:
2. Helping rescue another mother and her children from the streets.
*name changed for privacy