As a humanitarian organization focused on poverty alleviation, development and sustainable livelihoods; one of Agape Family Care’s Interventions under the Livelihoods Programme includes building safe and adequate housing environments where families can thrive. Housing changes everything for a family living in poverty. With adequate housing every aspect of a family’s life is transformed and that includes their health, faith and wellbeing.
From the inception of Agape Family Care; Ruth Emmanuel-Makandiwa has transformed the lives of many by providing families with adequate shelter. Owing to her passion to demonstrate her love for Christ by extending love to others; 73 year Old Gogo Beaulah Chikava became one of the beneficiaries of her abounding love.
Gogo Beaulah Chikava had managed to only build a two roomed core house with funds from her late husband’s pension money in 2010. The inadequate structure became her shelter owing to desperation though it had no flooring, no ceiling, no windows, no wall plastering, no security, no running water, no electricity as well as no proper bathroom and toilet facilities. In essence what she called home was a run-down structure that was detrimental to her health as she developed chronic asthma owing to her unconducive living conditions.
When the issue of her plight was identified during the Agape Family Care Beneficiaries households’ visits; the team moved into action to address her challenge. The renovation process included adding more bedrooms taking into consideration the family’s size. The renovations also including adding an indoor bathroom and toilet, plastering of walls, flooring and tiling of floors, adding of water pipes and kitchen sink for running water. A backup water tank was also set up at her household, and for security purposes a durawall was constructed with a lockable sliding gate. Having used a small outdoor block brick shed as a kitchen owing to the unavailability of electricity; Gogo Chikava also had electricity connected for her. All the convenience brought to Gogo Chikava’s doorstep was a quest to restore the dignity and self-respect that she deserved.
The handover ceremony was held on the 18th of June 2020 and was officiated by the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities – Honorable Daniel Garwe. The handover ceremony revealed the fully furnished house in its glory as well as the bulk groceries all courtesy of Ruth Emmanuel-Makandiwa with the generous support of our Agape Family Care Partners. Today Gogo Beaulah Chikava’s life has not only been transformed but she has been empowered and enriched.