Mary
Waiting for a Miracle
Waiting for a Miracle: Mary’s Story
Mary* has been a single mother who has been taking care of her family since 2009 after her husband abandoned her and their four children. Despite that shock, Mary and her children have managed to get by God’s grace. This is the story of their journey.
After Mary’s husband abandoned the family for another woman, she was left without any safety net and wasn’t sure what to do. Mary had no income and to pay the rent or provide for the family. Through her determination and courage, Mary and her four children managed to get by.
Despite her own challenges at home, Mary continued to serve in her local church: Chifubu Evangelical. She served in the compassion ministry which aims to help those who are struggling in her community. Even though Mary was struggling herself, she still wanted to serve those in her community!
Thanks to your support, Chifubu Evangelical Church began empowering Mary and her family. Over the years, the church in partnership with Forgotten Voices has helped the family by:
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Paying for school fees and uniforms for Mary’s children
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Providing emotional and spiritual support to Mary and her children
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Providing business training and small grants for Mary through the Savings and Credit Group at the church
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Creating a support group that has provided a community to Mary
Though the support they received from the church was much appreciated but the small house they were living in was far from ideal.
A Miracle on the Horizon
Mary was selling salt to generate income for herself but it was never enough to save for a house. Mary needed a miracle if she ever wanted to get herself and her children into a better home. Thankfully, a miracle came through!
The government of Zambia and a local non-profit created a program aimed at assisting poor families to get land to build homes. By God’s grace, Mary was able to secure a plot of land to build a new house on.
Without having to buy the land outright, Mary was able to buy all the building materials off of her salt sales. Mary and her children first built a small temporary house to live in while the larger house gets built.
To help ease the financial burden, Chifubu Evangelical even purchased the timber that is necessary for the roofing of her new house. The house is still being built but once complete, Mary and her children will have a secure and stable roof over their heads!
Her old house is on the left and her new house is on the right.
Thinking of others that need help, Mary is on her way to independence so others can be helped too. Recently, Mary received farming supplies from Chifubu and Forgotten Voices. These supplies helped her have a successful farming season which will lead to enough food for her whole family for one year!
Mary is also involved in two savings groups, one in her neighborhood and another at her church, backed by Forgotten Voices. These savings groups provide much needed financial resources to groups who traditionally have not had access to loans, banks, etc.
In this savings group, Mary can invest some of her profits to impact others in the community and collect interest from her investments. This helps her to grow sustainable income for herself and her family!
Isn’t it amazing to see the change that Mary has undergone in the past few years?
But there is one thing that hasn’t changed: Mary continues to serve in her church and even volunteers at a local clinic in her spare time.
This is what Mary said about the church, “I am grateful to God for using the church to support me and my children. Without them life would have been unbearable.”
Thanks to you, Mary has the resources to provide for her own and to do it independently!
Would you please join us in praying for Mary and her children as well as other caregivers like her who need support?
*Names have been changed to protect those we serve