Hardships come into people’s lives in different forms and different ways. Some face hardships in achieving just one goal but in the case of this elderly widow, surviving for a day became a hardship that she had to endure for the sake of her children – from having enough to eat and cover her body to having a place she can call her own…
Gogo Sekai Elizabeth Nyuchi was born in 1949 in Zaka District, Masvingo Province. She got married to her husband who was originally from Malawi.
After they got married, Gogo Nyuchi and her husband moved from town to town due to the different types of jobs the husband would get in different places. Just like most couples, Gogo Nyuchi and her husband were looking forward to grow old together with their huge family - 16 children in total.
But everything took a worse in in 1991 when Gogo Nyuchi’s husband passed on.
“…At the time when my husband passed, 7 of our children had already passed away so I was left with 9 children.”
Gogo Nyuchi was left alone with 9 children to take care of. With no other option left, Gogo Nyuchi had to go back to her maiden home in Zaka with her children. Life became very difficult for her as the only breadwinner for her and her kids was no longer around to fend for them.
With all her 9 children looking up to her for everything, Gogo Nyuchi had to find ways to sustain and feed her family. She started taking menial jobs and working in other people’s fields. Although she tried by all means to make ends meet, the little money that she would get was not enough to feed her whole family.
But her situation began to worsen more when more of her children began to die, one after the other.
"Whilst I was in Zaka, two of my children passed on. I was then left with 7 children. I was deeply hurt by the way my children were dying.”
After going through this difficult period in her life, Gogo Nyuchi then decided to relocate to Norton where one of her sons.. At this point in time, Gogo Nyuchi was left with 7 children and 9 grandchildren.
With no place to run to and no one to give her comfort, Gogo Nyuchi realized that the best place for her to find refuge was in the house of the Lord.
In 2012, Ruth Makandiwa identified her, amongst hundreds of other elderly women and Gogo Nyuchi's story changed for the better.
"When I started receiving help from Ruth Makandiwa, I was given food groceries on a monthly basis. my children and my grandchildren also began to receive school fees, uniforms, books, satchels and clothes. Our lives were transformed."'
Ruth Makandiwa allowed the love of God to flow in Gogo Nyuchi’s family as she became the source of hope and peace that comforted Gogo Nyuchi’s family.
And thus began the journey of Gogo Nyuchi’s transformation…
(To be continued…)
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