The History-Making Hot Dog
How God Uses Camp Food and DGL Scholarships to Change Countries
“The food at Young Life camp was marvelous; I had never eaten a hot dog in my whole life. Experiencing it was history-making for me.”
Hot dogs aren’t typically a history-making event. For Sharon Intauno (DGL 2014), it was more than the hot dog … the whole Young Life camp experience was a significant turning point in her life. Sharon recalls the laughter, the fun, the joy she experienced at camp – a welcome relief from grieving the loss of her mother, the only parent she had known, when she was only 11 years old. “To be around a group of people who were so caring, I felt like a child. It was the most amazing time of my life.”
Little did she know that week at camp what the Lord had planned for her life. Recently named Regional Vice President, Young Life Africa South, Sharon, a 2014 DGL graduate, exemplifies how God can use Young Life’s Developing Global Leaders program to radically change the trajectory of someone’s life.
As a young teenager, Sharon was thrust into the role of head of the home – cooking, cleaning, and caring for cousins, nieces and nephews in her charge. She worked selling popsicles at a bus stop to help make ends meet and attended school when she could. She did well academically, but struggled to pay her tuition. She confessed, "When school fees would run out, I would be sent out of class but I would sneak back in so I didn't miss too much."
Sharon was invited to Young Life when she was in high school and it was there she grew in her Christian faith. "In spite of the challenges in my life, I had faith that I would one day be the first person in my family to earn a university degree."
Upon high school graduation, Sharon was accepted by two colleges. "Unfortunately, I had no means whatsoever to afford to register for even one semester but that's when I was offered a DGL scholarship and my life changed."
Thanks to her DGL scholarship, Sharon was able to lead Young Life and attend the University of Zimbabwe where she earned a Bachelor of Science, Development Studies and graduated with honors.
Like nearly one third of DGL graduates, Sharon went directly to full-time Young Life staff; she quickly became an area director and in 2016 pioneered Zimbabwe Young Life College. Eventually she was promoted to Senior Regional Director for Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa and in 2023 was named Regional Vice President for Young Life Africa South.
"By God's grace I went on staff ten years ago and I've never looked back."
Sharon and her husband, Moses, recently had their first child, a daughter. Sharon delights in her roles as wife, mother, leader, friend, and most significantly, a daughter of the King.
Through sponsorship, Developing Global Leaders (DGL) offers Young Life leaders in the world's poorest developing countries a pathway to a future they never thought possible – the opportunity to attend university in their own country and impact their community with the Gospel. To find out more about DGL and what it takes to sponsor a student go to dgl.younglife.org or reach out to Andy Morman at amorman@intl.younglife.org
Written by Toni Morse