After 75 year old Gogo Sophia Chitumba’s husband passed on, she was left alone with a mammoth task that she could not carry.
She struggled a lot; though they previously had a lot of furniture everything was destroyed by the rain and all of her belongings rot outside.
“I used to be chased out of the house and somedays I slept outside which would cause me to fall ill.”
With no one to help her, Gogo Chitumba and her children had no option but to endure it all but her situation took a worse turn when two of her children passed on leaving their children, this left her with a huge family to feed and provide for.
”I gave birth to 5 children; 2 of them passed away and now I am left with 3. After the passing on of my two children, they left behind 9 grandchildren that I had to take care of.” Gogo Chitumba added.
She used to take left-over sadza from funerals and would cover up by telling the people that she was going to feed it to the chickens but in actual fact it was for her to then eat with her grandchildren.
“I had no clothes; I had only one dress left with me. Even the kids didn’t have anything to wear.”
Ruth Makandiwa, through the Agape Family Care, became a channel through which the love of Jesus has been, and is still flowing into the life of Gogo Chitumba’s family.
“When I was called by Agape Family Care that I should come and receive food, I was so happy.” Gogo Chitumba said.
Gogo Chitumba has been an Agape Family Care beneficiary since 2012. From 2012, Gogo Chitumba receives monthly groceries and rental/ accommodation allowance from Agape Family Care.
“I am being taken care of; I have received blankets, sheets and pillow cases. Now my grandchildren have something to cover them during the night. We no longer lack food in the house.”
Ruth Makandiwa also provided scholarships for Gogo Chitumba’s 9 grandchildren through the Agape Family Care’s scholarship program.
“All of my grandchildren’s school fees were paid for from uniforms, books, everything.”
Gogo Chitumba and her family were once in a very dire situation but today their lives have been transformed.