Laban Benjamin – Tanzania

Area Director

Laban Benjamin first came to know Jesus through the Lutheran Church while he was a high school student. He grew up in a Christian home and faith was instilled in him at an early age and supported by his parents. Things changed, however, in 2004. That year Laban’s father passed away leaving Laban, as the oldest child, head of household. Laban is physically strong and, by Tanzanian standards, very tall. He quickly found work helping to lead expeditions up Mt. Kilimanjaro and later became part of the mountain rescue team. In 2006 Laban met Alexis Kwamy, who began to mentor Laban, teaching him the Bible and inviting him to a Young Life discipleship group in Arusha. As his friendship with Alexis grew and his faith developed, Alexis invited Laban to assist him as a volunteer Young Life leader in the Sokoni One district of Arusha. In 2009 Laban partnered with Alexis to help Young Life establish an outreach club and discipleship group in Ilboru, Tanzania and then he went on to establish Young Life outreach clubs and discipleship groups in Lendenai and Nyumba ya Mungu, both Maasai villages in remote parts of Tanzania. Laban continues to oversee Young Life in those two Maasai villages and has more recently started Young Life clubs in the Mairowa region of Tanzania. Laban has won the trust of Alexis and other senior leaders around Young Life Africa and is ready for new challenges.