Esther Sulwishi
At only 2 years old, Esther along with her older sister Bupe (4 years old) and her older step-sister, Emma (12 years old) now lives at the Tree of Life. Her step-father forces her mother to make money for the family by selling herself to men during the night. Esther’s mother is HIV+ and Esther’s sister Bupe was born with the disease. Luckily, Esther does not have HIV! Esther was continually ignored at her old home, often left for hours with no one to look after her or give her a hug. Esther is now showered with love at the Tree of Life! Esther was reunited with her older step-sister Emma when they all moved into the Tree of Life on opening day at the village! Esther loves being the center of attention as the youngest child at Lahema’s house!
Ngelembe Ngombo
Ngelembe is a single orphan who stayed with her mother, her 7 other siblings, as well as an additional 5 children who are related to the family and had nowhere else to stay. All 14 people lived in a one room shack made of timber with a covering of black plastic trash bag material, no running water, or electricity. She is from a compound called Buseko Market, which is one of the poorest compounds in Lusaka, as the houses are not even made of concrete block, but are made from sticks and trash bag material. In the rainy season, water leaks in as well, making sleeping with 14 people in a hot, humid, dripping-wet environment almost intolerable. Earlier this year Ngelembe’s mom’s small-business stand and all of her items to sell at the market burned down, and she has been unable to start the business up again due to the capital needs. Family Legacy was able to provide a small business loan to her, but since she had to go to the hospital twice due to sickness, she ended up using the funds for food for the 13 children in the shack while she was in the hospital. Now at The Tree of Life, Negelembe loves playing with all her new toys and especially likes going to pre-school with her friends where she has been learning to say the alphabet!
Jessy Shipilo
Before coming to the Tree of Life, Jessy stayed with her grandmother as both her parents wanted to have nothing to do with her. They had nothing to contribute to the well-being of their child because of their poverty-stricken situation. This little girl has been severely sexually abused by her cousins at her uncle’s place. The abuse she has passed through has made Jessy’s spirit listless and very flat. Her relatives have imposed fear within her, and as a result, all that comes to her mind were the mistakes she had made and the punishment that has followed thereafter. Jessy went to Destiny Community School, which is situated in the middle of Matero and Buseko Markets. Now at The Tree of Life, Jessy loves playing with her new friends in the fort on the playground, and especially loves sliding down the slide over and over again. She always encourages the other children in her house to get ready for school so they can be on time to learn their school lessons. Jessy wants to be a teacher when she grows up!
Cindy Phiri
Before coming to the Tree of Life, Cindy (7), Emmanuel (9), and Elina (12) were all living with their grandmother in a small two-roomed mud hut. Cindy’s mother and father died earlier this year in March. Her mother was suffering from AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB), and she died after having been sick for a long time. Because of her father’s grief over his wife’s death, Cindy’s dad committed suicide by drinking poison on the very same day her mother died. So sadly, Cindy and her older siblings went to a double funeral for both of their parents. The children subsequently moved in with their elderly grandmother who had a job washing people’s clothes; however, due to her age, caring for three children was really more than she could handle. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Cindy loves playing with all her friends and especially with her new baby doll from “Auntie” Carolyn! Cindy especially enjoys taking baths all throughout the day and is fascinated by the mirror in her bathroom!
Esther Tembo
Esther is a double orphan. Both of her parents died after being ill for a long time, presumably from HIV/AIDS. This left Esther and her siblings with no one to look after them. Her uncle finally and begrudgingly took Esther in. With little money himself and with other mouths to feed in his house, Esther was truly not wanted in this household. At one point, Esther was sent to stay at her grandmother’s house. Sadly, after coming home late from fetching water at the river, her grandmother began to beat her with a wooden cooking stick. In fact, she beat her so hard that the stick broke and then the grandmother proceeded to use the sharp edge of the wooden stick to gouge into Esther’s leg. When Esther came to camp, she had a deep, infected and open sore on her leg since her grandmother refused to take her to the clinic after the beating. It was that very same week at Camp LIFE that the decision was made that Esther must immediately move into the Tree of Life Children’s Village. And so now, this double orphan, who no relative wanted or cared for is happily living in Shepherd’s House – spending her days swinging on swing sets, jumping on the trampoline, and of course going to school!
Memory Banda
Memory Banda and her three older siblings: Gift (12 years old), Hope (11 years old), and Grace (10 years old) all stayed with their elderly grandmother who was too weak to do any work that could sustain an income to provide for her double-orphaned grandchildren. Memory’s father died on the same day her sister Hope was born. Three and a half years later, her mother suddenly dropped dead from the “unknown disease”, which was most likely HIV/AIDS. Memory and her siblings have had an extremely hard life and have prayed for a long time for God to deliver them from their tragic and difficult circumstances. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Memory enjoys playing with all the new toys and trying on all the darling clothes in her closet! Memory absolutely LOVES being one of the babies of the house! Memory can’t remember a happier time in her life than this past month living at this amazing piece of heaven the Tree of Life!
Justina Mweemba
Justina grew up in “the village bush” several hours north of Lusaka with her parents. Many years ago, they sent her to Lusaka to live with her grandparents. Her parents used to insult her constantly and tell her that she was a problem for them. Justina has felt rejected for a long time because her parents are still alive, but wanted nothing to do with her, and she hasn’t spoken to them or seen them since she was a small girl. Over the last number of years, Justina has stayed with her grandparents and older brother in a small mud house in Chainda Compound. Justina’s grandmother was mean and very abusive to her most of the time. Justina’s grandfather practiced witchcraft and even tattooed her on her forehead. As a result, Justina has suffered from constant vivid nightmares. Justina used to sleep on the floor, but she would always be the first one to wake up to go to school, despite the fact that her teacher would be very harsh with her and beat her as well. While staying with her grandparents, Justina was a very sad child. Now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Justina loves all her new friends and especially her house moms! Justina really enjoys going to school and her favorite subject is reading!
Chamba Shimo
Before coming to the Tree of Life, Chamba had a very rough daily existence. Her parents lived in separate places and she rarely saw her father. Two of her siblings have already passed away. Chamba’s mother practices witchcraft and gets drunk almost everyday. Unfortunately, Chamba suffers severely from a lack of hearing in both ears because her mother sprayed rat poison in both of them on a regular basis as a form of punishment for no reason. Sweet Chamba has suffered from evil, vivid nightmares as a result of losing her siblings and her mother practicing witchcraft over her. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Chamba has a whole new family! She praises God for her regular medical treatment with her ears and we are all praying for a full healing on her behalf. Chamba wants to be a doctor when she grows up and is now well on her way to her dream!
Emma Tembo
At only 12 years old, Emma’s story is heart wrenching. Her father died when she was a toddler and her mother became deeply depressed forcing Emma to do all the chores and look after her two younger sisters, Esther and Bupe. Emma’s little brother died in her arms when he was just 4 years old due to lack of food and sickness and she was blamed for his death. Emma’s step-father repeated abused her body while her mother sold herself to men during the night. Emma was able join Family Legacy’s LIFEWAY boarding homes in August 2008 and now calls Tree of Life her new home! Emma was reunited with her two younger step-sisters when they all moved into the Tree of Life on opening day at the village! No child could have been happier with the freedom she now enjoys!!! Emma loves to read the bible to her young sisters in her very own safe room at the Tree of Life! Emma and several other girls in her new home have started a choir!
Mercy Mbewe
Mercy’s mom died when she was very young. Her dad got re-married and would not let Mercy live with him because his new wife didn’t want her. She had nowhere to go, and as a result she had been shifted around to live with lots of different relatives. She is now 8 years old and her most recent “home” was with one of her dad’s previous wives. This woman’s husband was in jail, and they had no money. This woman was very physically and verbally abusive towards Mercy, and would scream at her saying, “I’m not your mom! Your mom is dead and in her grave!” Mercy’s aunt practiced witchcraft on her and would force young Mercy to be involved in it as well. As a result, Mercy has tattoos all over her body, and suffered from horrendous nightmares on a nightly basis. She was also made to sleep on the dirt floor with no blanket. Mercy used to walk all by herself to church, but now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, she LOVES going to church every Sunday with her new friends and family! Mercy is in the church choir and loves to sing praises of thanksgiving to her Lord and Savior for His redeeming love towards her!
Rebecca Sisilu
Never knowing her mom, Rebecca grew up in the rural village of Chibombo up until her father was killed in a road accident when she was very young. Shortly thereafter, she was raped by a man in the village who would rape the young girls with no parents. She stayed with her grandfather, who would frequently rape the child as well. One of the neighbors had compassion on her and brought her to Lusaka and placed her in Mapode Girl’s Orphanage a few years ago. Unfortunately, the young girls at the orphanage were rarely fed and are the victims of ritualistic sacrifices and witchcraft instigated by the head director. Once a month, they sacrificially rape or kill a child, and most mornings the children would wake up to find dead cats cut open and strewn across their bedroom floor. The older girls are all involved in sexual activities and they would force the younger girls like Rebecca to go call for their boyfriends in the middle of the night. Now at the Tree of Life, Rebecca loves having a real mom and real friends her own age. She particularly likes having her own bed with clean sheets and warm blankets. She always enjoys taking walks with the Tree of Life Village Pastor, and her heart has begun to warm up to enjoying being a child again!
Grace Banda
Grace Banda and her three siblings: Gift (12 years old), Hope (11 years old), and Memory (7 years old) all stayed with their elderly grandmother who was too weak to do any work that could sustain an income to provide for her double-orphaned grandchildren. Grace’s father died on the same day when her sister Hope was born. Three and a half years later, her mother suddenly dropped dead from the “unknown disease”, which was most likely HIV/AIDS. Grace and her siblings have had an extremely hard life and have prayed for a long time for God to deliver them from their tragic and difficult circumstances. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Grace enjoys singing with the girls in her house and absolutely LOVES having her big sister and brother in the same house with her! Grace can’t believe the Lord’s grace to her as she lives her brand new LIFE!
Mirriam Mwiinga
Prior to coming to the Tree of Life, Mirriam (5 years old) and her older cousin Norah (10 years old) lived with her aunt in a small one-roomed house in Chainda compound. Their house did not have electricity or running water, and the ventilation was very poor. Mirriam’s aunt is HIV positive and she has been on ARV’s since 2003. Her aunt is currently not working and this made their lives difficult considering her condition. We were not even aware that Mirriam was living with Norah until the day Norah moved to the Tree of Life. Mirriam came along and her aunt begged us to take her too because she could not afford to feed her. Living at the Tree of Life has brought so much joy to sweet Mirriam as she walks around smiling everyday. She loves being one of the youngest girls at her house as she gets loved on by all her new older siblings!
Susan Chibuye
We met Susan and her sister Doreen (3 years old) as they were roaming the streets in the compound during our community outreach day. These sisters came from a household of neglect, mistreatment, and abuse. They lived in a small two-room house with no electricity or running water. The father of the girls is mentally disturbed and has significantly affected the children’s growth and development. In previous pictures of these children, you can easily recognize the horrendously sad conditions they have lived in through the years. They each were extremely frail and thin due to the lack of food in the home. Susan and Doreen are cousins to Maggie and Peter Phiri, thus they would all work together to take care of themselves because of the constant neglect from their families. These children have dealt with witchcraft and have received multiple scars and tattoos. They were in need of so much love and care. Now at The Tree of Life, Susan especially enjoys washing her clothes with her house mom and loves playing with her dolls!
Polina Mumba
Polina has been with Family Legacy for some time now. When she first attended Camp LIFE, she was so sick she could barely stand up. Polina had AIDS, both of her parents died of AIDS leaving her with an abusive older brother who would refuse to give Polina the life-saving drugs that she needed to live. Her brother often told her to “just go somewhere and die – to chase her mother to the grave.” At that point, Polina came into the LIFEWAY program and has been receiving regular food and schooling ever since. Polina has gained weight and receives her medicine daily! Polina loves the Lord and loves her younger siblings at her house at the Tree of Life. She is such a sweet older sister to them and takes great care with the younger ones!
Monica Kaminsa
Before coming to the Tree of Life, Monica (11 years old) had been hit by a car. Due to the lack of professional medical attention she was given, one of her legs healed in such a way that she is still unable to fully extend it. Whenever Monica tries to use her leg, the scars open up and can easily get infected. Monica continues to deal with this problem, but now that she lives at the Tree of Life doctors are able to help her and hopefully fix it permanently. Monica loves all her new friends at the Tree of LIFE Children’s Village. One of her very favorite things to do is to take a real shower in her new home! Monica also loves school so much and spending time with her new siblings on the swings!
Hope Banda
Hope Banda and her three siblings: Gift (12 years old), Grace (10 years old), and Memory (7 years old) all stayed with their elderly grandmother who was too weak to do any work that could sustain an income to provide for her double-orphaned grandchildren. Hope’s given name was Mizozi (meaning “tears” in English), because the same day that she was born was the exact same day that her father died. Three and a half years later, her mother suddenly dropped dead from the “unknown disease”, which was most likely HIV/AIDS. Hope and her siblings have had an extremely hard life and have prayed for a long time for God to deliver them from their tragic and difficult circumstances. At Camp LIFE, Hope was given her new name, and her personality has really brightened as a result! Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Hope loves being well provided for and still being able to stay together with all of her siblings. Hope especially enjoys having a real mom to comfort her and always be there for her!
Emma Sakala
Before coming to grace the Tree of Life with her presence, little Emma (12 years old) lost both of her parents to HIV/AIDS and is herself positive with the virus. Up until this point, Emma stayed with her grandmothers, one of which was blind and both were too weak to find work and thus could not feed her on a daily basis. Without the daily food she needed, the drugs she tried to take for HIV would make her sicker than not taking them at all. With all the malnourishment at home and being HIV+, Emma found it hard to walk the long distances to school and back and occasionally had to miss classes. Now at the Tree of Life, Emma has completely rebounded! Her face is full of joy as she is getting three hot meals a day as well as walking only a house away to attend school! Emma is getting her medicine from her house moms who care deeply for her! Emma loves saying her prayers at night!
Dorcas Kalumbu
2 years ago, Dorcas (8 years old at the time), Naphtali (6 years old at the time), and Misheck (2 years old at the time) were completely abandoned by their parents. They lived in an extremely impoverished slum compound in Lusaka called Kanyama, with their “shack” of a home located right behind a bar. Dorcas’ parents asked their neighbors to watch their children for 24 hours as they needed to go somewhere and would be returning the next day. Unfortunately, they never returned, and left Dorcas and her little brothers completely abandoned! The neighbors were gracious and have kept them for 2 years, despite the extreme poverty situation they themselves have been in. Little Dorcas and her brothers have been sleeping on a very small patch of dirt floor for over 2 years – literally the neighbor’s house was no bigger than 8 ft. by 8 ft.! Poor Dorcas and her brothers have lived with deep pain and scars of rejection because of their parents’ abandonment. The children still don’t know of their parent’s whereabouts or why they even left them. For so long, they all felt very unloved and unwanted. Now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Dorcas loves playing with her friends on the jumping castle and especially enjoys sleeping in her own warm bed!
Chiinga Ngombo
Chiinga is a single orphan who stayed with her mother, her 7 other siblings, as well as an additional 5 children who are related to the family and had nowhere else to stay. All 14 people lived in a one room shack made of timber with a covering of black plastic trash bag material, no running water, or electricity. She is from a compound called Buseko Market, which is one of the poorest compounds in Lusaka, as the houses are not even made of concrete block, but are made from sticks and trash bag material. In the rainy season, water leaks in as well, making sleeping with 14 people in a hot, humid, dripping-wet environment almost intolerable. Earlier this year Chiinga’s mom’s small-business stand and all of her items to sell at the market burned down, and she has been unable to start the business up again due to the capital needs. Family Legacy was able to provide a small business loan to her, but since she had to go to the hospital twice due to sickness, she ended up using the funds for food for the 13 children in the shack while she was in the hospital. Now at The Tree of Life, Chiinga enjoys playing with her new friends and eating three meals a day!
Bwalya Mbewe
Bwalya Mbewe lived with her uncle in Chawama Compound and was extremely malnourished. She has stuggled with severe swelling in her legs, as well as being blind in her right eye. At school, her teachers did not care about her and made her feel very neglected. She frequently came to the Community Resource Center in Chawama, until her family shifted her to live with her other uncle in the Village because she was such a burden on them. Her family rejected her because of the embarrassment factor of her blind eye and her sickly appearance. Family Legacy sent a bus along with Bwalya’s Discipleship Leader out to the bush to bring her back to Lusaka so that she could be one of the first children to live at The Tree of Life Children’s Village!! Now living in Lahema’s House, Bwalya loves taking baths several times a day and reading lots of books at her new school!
Agness Banda
Agness (9 years old) used to live in a cramped one-room house with 10 people. Agness has constantly complained of stomach aches and headaches without relief for over a year now. Her cousin abuses her and she had many nightmares of evil spirits and fire. Now that she is at the Tree of Life, Agness has been evaluated by a local clinic and is receiving medicine to treat her aches and pains. Getting regular meals also helps Agness to regain her strength! Agness thanks the Lord constantly for the many wonderful changes he has brought to her life this past month! Agness is known around the Tree of Life for the huge smile that she is always wearing. Her favorite thing to do is to sing and dance in the choir with all of her friends.
Sara Lungu
Before moving to the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Sara lived with her grandmother who has 13 other dependants, most of whom are orphans. They all lived in an unfinished small two-roomed house, which did not have running water or electricity. Sara’s parents passed away when she was young, most likely due to AIDS because she is also HIV positive. After her parents died, the grandmother took her in, but it has been hard for her to survive because she is old and cannot manage to sustain Sara in her condition. Through her Father’s Heart Sponsorship, Sara has been on our monthly feeding program, in conjunction with taking her to the clinic on a regular basis for her ARV medication. Sara slept on the floor and used an old blanket to cover herself. She only had one pair of shoes from Camp LIFE and she had very little warm clothing. Sara said she was happy when she was helping out with house chores such as going to fetch water because it kept her from thinking too much about her HIV status. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Sara likes eating three meals a day and loves her teachers at her new school! She particularly loves to play with her new stuffed animals and dress them in different outfits!
Natasha Mulwowo
Natasha is a double orphan and used to live with her late mother’s friend that had 13 dependents, most of whom are orphans. They lived in an unfinished small two-roomed house which did not have running water or electricity. She used to live with her mom in Kalundu township where her mother was working as a maid. One day, her mother fell suddenly ill and was admitted into the hospice where she later died. Not knowing what to do, Natasha ran away and came to stay with her mom’s friend who was Sara Lungu’s grandmother because she did not have any other relatives in Lusaka. Natasha would sleep on the floor with Sara and they used an old blanket to cover themselves. She only had one pair of shoes and she did not have any warm clothing. Natasha has lacked food, however despite these challenges she was usually at the top of her class in her previous school. She believes in God and says she wants to get baptized like Jesus. Now at The Tree of Life, Natasha loves going to her new school, and says that science is her favorite subject. Natasha really enjoys reading books and playing with her new dolls and stuffed animals!
Doreen Chibuye
We met Doreen and her sister Susan (6 years old) as they were roaming the streets in the compound during our community outreach day. These sisters come from a household of neglect, mistreatment, and abuse. They lived in a small two-room house with no electricity or running water. The father of the children is mentally disturbed and has significantly affected the children’s growth and development. In previous pictures of these children, you can easily recognize the horrendously sad conditions they have lived in through the years. They each were extremely frail and thin due to the lack of food in the home. Susan and Doreen are cousins to Maggie and Peter Phiri, thus they would all work together to take care of themselves because of the constant neglect from their families. These children have dealt with witchcraft and have received multiple scars and tattoos. They were in need of so much love and care. Now at The Tree of Life, Doreen likes to swing on the swing set and is constantly found at the side of her new house mom!
Bupe Sulwishi
At 4 years old, Bupe along with her younger sister Esther (2 years old) and her older step-sister, Emma (12 years old) now lives at the Tree of Life. Her step-father forces her mother to make money for the family by selling herself to men during the night. Bupe’s mother is HIV+ and Bupe is also positive with the disease. Because Bupe has continually not had enough food to eat and combined with the virus she has it is a miracle that she is still alive. Bupe now calls Tree of Life her new home! Bupe was reunited with her older step-sister Emma when they all moved into the Tree of Life on opening day at the village! Bupe is thrilled with all the yummy food she now enjoys. Bupe is also receiving the life-saving ARVs she needs to live a full LIFE!
Mumba Bwalya
Mumba is a double orphan who lived with her aunt and uncle in Garden Compound. Because she was a burden to that household, she was made to beg on the streets for food if she wanted to eat. Mumba has suffered horrific nightmares — and in the midst of them all, her faith has remained strong. Not only was she unwanted by her aunt and uncle, but she also was consistently threatened that they were going to send her away to Tanzania – a “scary, unknown country” that she had never been to. Mumba believed God’s Word that she loves so dearly that He had plans to give her a future and a hope, and would claim that truth daily. God certainly answered her prayers by bringing her to the Tree of Life Children’s Village where she now loves to lead praise and worship at Church and helps her new friends memorize scripture. Mumba wants to be a preacher’s wife when she grows up, and says she loves everything about her new home!
Faith Mutale
Faith is a tiny 9 year old who is in the first grade because last year was her first year ever to be in school. She is HIV positive and she does not know it. A double orphan, Faith lived with her older sister, younger brother (who is always sick), aunt and grandmother. Over the past year, Faith’s grandmother took her to a witchdoctor in the village in order to get rid of the bad dreams and black spirits she was having. The witchdoctor burned Faith’s leg with medicine from a clay pot, and as a result, she has a huge scar across her entire leg. During Camp LIFE, Faith manifested demonic spirits and after two hours of solid prayer, she was set free! Now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Faith loves learning to read and continuously changing clothes because she has so many now! Her joy and excitement about her new life is contagious, and her house moms say she is a very helpful child with a joyful countenance.
Alice Banda
Prior to moving to the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Alice lived with her uncle who would threaten and severely beat her and her siblings everyday after school. In her uncle’s household, Alice was always blamed and punished harshly for anything that went wrong. She also suffered from terrible nightmares as a result of demonic witchcraft that has been practiced on her. Alice would pray to God every night for protection and would claim over and over that the Lord was her Shepherd! Now living in “Shepherd’s House”, the Lord is leading her beside the still waters and restoring her soul! Alice enjoys going to sleep in her own bed in peace and praises God that she is free from her tormenting nightmares. Alice absolutely loves school, and particularly likes taking walks with the Tree of Life Village pastors as they talk about God’s amazing plans for her life.
Christabel Mubanja
Christabel lived with her aunt and uncle because both of her parents recently passed away from HIV/AIDS. There are three other children in her family, and she is the first born child. The last born child remained at the village in Mpulungu with an uncle, while the second born is in the Copperbelt. The aunt that she previously stayed with sells sweet potatoes at the market. Living a “Cinderella life-style”, Christabel complains of being given a lot of work to do at home, as compaired to her cousins who don’t have to do any chores – she was a real outcast where she stayed. Because she is a double orphan, she has been made a slave in her aunt’s household and many times is kept from going to school because of the same aunt. Christabel is a bright child who simply needs the right opportunity to succeed. Now at the Tree of Life, Christabel loves climbing trees and playing on the swing set. Her favorite subject at school is English and she loves the fact that she is now learning to read!
Beauty Mulenga
Beauty Mulenga is a precious 13 year-old girl whose parents both died when she was a young child. Since her parent’s death, Beauty has stayed with her drunkard aunt who has been very abusive to her on a nightly basis. One of Beauty’s aunt’s boyfriends even raped her one night when her aunt came home with him as they were both drunk. Beauty also lives with the very painful disease called Sickle-Cell Anemia, where extreme acute pain will attack her body for several days at a time on a bi-monthly basis. Now at Tree of Life, Beauty has FULL access to the highest quality medical care, as well as a balanced diet that is necessary to assist her in her condition. Beauty wants to be a doctor when she grows up and is thriving in school!
Elina Phiri
Before coming to the Tree of Life, Elina (12), Emmanuel (9), and Cindy (7) were all living with their grandmother in a small two-roomed mud hut. Elina’s mother and father died earlier this year in March. Her mother was suffering from AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB), and she died after having been sick for a long time. Because of her father’s grief over his wife’s death, Elina’s dad committed suicide by drinking poison on the very same day her mother died. So sadly, Elina and her younger siblings went to a double funeral for both of their parents. The children subsequently moved in with their elderly grandmother who had a job washing people’s clothes; however, due to her age, caring for three children was really more than she could handle. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Elina is able to meet with our social services counselor on a weekly basis to process through what has happened in her life. Elina especially loves going to school and helping her new house moms make dinner!
Mercy Bwalya
Mercy’s parents have both died and she has been living with her aunt along with a few other cousins. She has suffered from physical abuse and malnourishment as she was purposely not given enough food on a daily basis. Her cousins were fed twice a day, but she was not allowed to eat because she is a double orphan. Also, she was the only child beaten in the household. During her week at Camp LIFE, her aunt kicked her so hard that she had broken her front two teeth in half. Because she is a double orphan, Mercy was also forced by her aunt to take on difficult chores that should be done by adults. Mercy’s aunt despised the fact that Mercy was under her roof, and did not want her at all. Sweet Mercy did not choose the situation she was in, and has been in desperate need to get out. Now at The Tree of Life, Mercy loves playing with her new dolls and especially loves carrying her doll on her back like a real Zambian baby! She is loving her new life, and is finally free to be the child she was created to be!
Esther Soko
Esther is a precious 10 year old girl who is a double-orphan. Before coming to the Tree of Life, Esther lived with her grandmother and older sister. Esther’s grandmother is a witchdoctor, and recently killed her younger sister in a ritualistic sacrifice. Esther has been continuously haunted by a nightmare of a coffin that would chase her. In her dream, she would say to the coffin that she was not coming and then she would run away from it. The coffin would then follow her and say to her that she can’t refuse because it already had a place for her. Esther lived in fear that she would be the next child to die under the roof of her evil grandmother. She was not wanted, and her grandmother has repeatedly told her that she is a problem and has a curse over her life because both of her parents have died. Now at the Tree of Life, Esther loves helping her new house moms clean the house and enjoys playing with all her new friends on the “jumping castle”!
Maggie Phiri
Maggie and her brother Peter have suffered from neglect, malnourishment, and abuse in multiple ways from their care-takers. They lived in a two-room house with no electricity or running water. Maggie and Peter would both sleep on the floor in the front room. They had been raising themselves because their mom would leave them for most of the day, thus they were forced to fend for themselves in all areas. Maggie and Peter have been painful victims of the physical abuse from their 25-year-old mother who despised them because she was a child herself when she had them. Her mother has used a tree branch to beat Maggie’s small and frail body on a continuous basis. Peter has scars and tattoos from the affects of witchcraft. In addition, Maggie has been severely malnourished. Her thin frame exhibits the lack of food and neglect from her mom who has not shown any love or care. Now at the Tree of Life, Maggie loves the attention she is getting from her new house mom and likes showing off her newly braided hair that her mom fixed. She LOVES jumping on the trampoline and her favorite subject at school is art class!
Rachel Chongo
Rachel was young when her mom and dad died, and since then she has been staying with her 9 year old brother Ruben and her elderly grandmother, who is a marketer selling dry fish and charcoal. Rachel’s grandfather is a witchdoctor and has performed demonic rituals over both she and her brother. Rachel has demonic tattoos on her body. Both Ruben and Rachael have been in serious need of help because where they slept was not a healthy environment at all. They lived in Buseko Market, which is by far one of the poorest compounds in all of Lusaka, and where all of the houses were made from plastic trash bags and sticks. Disease, sickness, and death are a constant daily battle for people who live in Buseko. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Rachel loves going to school and especially enjoys having a nice warm bed to sleep in. Rachel loves to take baths and really likes helping her house mom cook dinner!
Norah Mwiinga
Prior to coming to the Tree of Life, Norah (10 years old) and her younger cousin Mirriam (5 years old) lived with her elderly mother in a small one-roomed house in Chainda compound. Their house did not have electricity or running water, and the ventilation is poor. She was brutally raped by a neighbor in 2005. Norah’s mother is HIV positive and she has been on ARV’s since 2003. Her mother is currently not working and this is making their lives difficult considering her condition. Norah has older brothers, but they all live out of town and they do not support them. Her older sisters have all died, and as a result, Norah is sometimes scared that she will die, too, because she is a girl. Now that Norah lives safely at the Tree of Life, her sweet countenance has brightened. She has become extremely attached to the new dolls she gets to play with as well as all the darling clothes available to her now!