A little over 40 kilometers away from Harare lies Murape Village in Seke. This village is home to an elderly woman who has endured very tough life experiences as she had to scratch and break sweat to take care of her big family – 13 grandchildren in total who are all under the age of 16.
But a woman on a mission to transform lives and be a beacon of hope – Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa –has brought not only hope but comfort and peace into her life.
“I had 2 sons. They married their wives but they both passed on. I was left with 13 grandchildren. The younger one left behind four children and the older one had nine children.” Gogo Rusere narrated her story.
“All of the children were brought to me whilst they were still young and most of them are about the same age. Some came when they were as young as 14 months old.
“Sometimes I would carry 2 children on my back and 2 children on my chest to take them to clinic for medical check-up.”
With nothing and no one to turn to for help, Gogo Rusere had no option but to move around in her community with a cup, asking for some mealie-meal so that she could make porridge for her young grandchildren.
On some days, Gogo Rusere and her grandchildren had to sleep on an empty stomach because there was nothing to eat in their home.
“I would move around with that cup, asking for mealie-meal up until one woman advised me not to do that as this would make us prone to food poisoning.”
Out of the love that she had for her grandchildren, Gogo Rusere then decided to go and look for work in the nearby farming fields and other people’s homes, despite her old age.
“I was in a very dire situation, with nothing and no one to look up to for the welfare of my 13 grandchildren. Some people ended up mocking me and my grandchildren due to our situation.”
But her story changed when Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa opened her hands and allowed the love of God to flow into her life and that of her family. Through Agape Family Care; the charity wing of UFIC, Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa has been providing food and basic commodities for Gogo Rusere and her family on a monthly basis since 2012.
“I would really like to thank Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa for her love, “Gogo Rusere said with joy, “She picked me up at a time when I was just by myself with no one to take care of me and my grandchildren.”
On the 19th of December 2018, Gogo Rusere’s family was part of the 100 families that received Christmas hampers from Propetess Ruth Makandiwa. Each hamper included;
- 50 kg of maize
- 2litres of cooking oil
- 2 tabs of bathing soap
- 1 kg bar of laundry soap
- 1 kg of salt
- 1 pack of tea bags
- 500 g of beans
- 5 kg Powdered milk
- 2 x 500 g of beans
- 5 kg of wheat
- 1 x 410g can of baked beans
- 2 litres of flavoured drink
- 250 g of kapenta
“I want to thank them because they have been providing me with food to feed these children. Had it not been for Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa, I would have lost some, if not all of my grandchildren to starvation and malnutrition.” Gogo Rusere added.
Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa has also been providing school fees and other school requirements (uniforms, textbooks etc.) to the older grandchildren of Gogo Rusere who are in school.
“I thank God for bringing Prophet Emmanuel and Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa into my life. They have become like family members that I never had which take of me. Their deeds and their love can and is only inspired by God.” Gogo Rusere expressed her gratitude.