LLF 2021 Impact Report - Flipbook - Page 3
COVER STORY
Meet Jackson Nzerhumana, you changed his life
U r b a n I m p a c t f o s t e re d
leadership in my life. It was
the connecting point from
where I came from and
where I am now, two worlds
that couldn’t possibly be
more different.
I was 5 years old when civil war forced my
family to ee our village in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) and seek safety in the
Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. I remember
cold, sleepless nights, lying awake wondering
where our next meal would come from, but also
feeling grateful for safety.
After more than two years in camp, my family
was moved to Nairobi, where I began going to
school and learning English, but life in Nairobi,
for me at least, was hardly better than life in the
refugee camp. I was viewed as an outsider and
constantly bullied, sometimes violently.
While walking home from school one day, I was
attacked from behind and hit in the head. I
suffered a traumatic brain injury, which I now
know impacted my occipital lobe so severely
that I temporarily lost my vision. My life halted
for nearly three months. No school, no learning,
no friends, and limited family interaction, all
while I remained hospitalized.
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I spent most of my time wondering why a hit to
the back of my head did so much damage to
my eyes. Eventually, my vision slowly returned,
but that question would always stay with me.
When I was twelve, my family was selected by
the United Nations to migrate to Lexington,
Kentucky; where we moved into the Woodhill
neighborhood. That’s when I rst heard about
Urban Impact. I saw my younger siblings enjoy
their Urban Impact after school program, so I
decided to get involved however I could. It turns
out, there were a lot of ways to be involved! I
attended family nights at Marcus and Audra’s
house, participated in summer church camps,
took trips, and joined bible studies.
I listened to every word Marcus shared during
family nights. He told us leadership was about
putting God rst, that we had to give Him all
we’ve got, body, mind and spirit. I would always
ask him how to lead people and he would give
me opportunities to lead, especially with the
younger kids at Urban Impact camps. I
remember the time he shared Proverbs 3:5-6,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not
on your own understanding, in all your ways
acknowledge Him and He will make your paths
straight. I decided that is what I would do, and I
knew that if I leaned on my own understanding
from that point on I would fall.
When it came time to consider college
applications and nancial aid, I had no idea
how to prepare. As it turns out, Urban Impact
also offered college readiness opportunities.
Chloe even helped me ll out my FAFSA.
In addition, Urban Impact’s job skills
partnerships helped me gain experience by
helping me land my rst job at Orange Leaf.
These collective experiences shaped how I
would choose to spend my time in college. Can
you imagine my excitement when I was
accepted into the University of Kentucky?
Keeping God rst, I became a Freshman
Senator and Student Government Senate . . .
story continues on page 9.
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