Kunda recently sat down with several of Wiphan’s widows and interviewed them. Their stories are amazing and a true testimony to God’s love and grace. Below is a brief description of what widows across Africa experience as the “norm” when they lose their spouse. Following this is the first of several personal stories of triumph from our ladies. In the days to follow, be sure to visit Kunda’s blog to hear more stories from our widows. Next week we will have a team traveling to Zambia to minister specifically to the widows in the Wiphan program by providing a women’s day conference in Ndola.
From Kunda…
Beloved Saints – Wiphan-Usa,
Once again, it is with much pleasure writing this report, concerning the challenges that an African widow and an orphan face and how God has used Wiphan Care Ministries to minister healing and restoration to the widows and orphans who come to Wiphan centers.
AFRICAN VIEW OF A WIDOW AND AN ORPHAN
In Africa and especially Zambia, when a woman loses a spouse, it becomes automatic that the widow remains with a ghost of her deceased husband – VERY SAD AND WRONG MENTALITY.
Becoming a widow in Zambia, is such a great challenge! As a widow, you become a ghost-carrier of your late husband and as an orphan, you become a ghost-carrier of your late father and because of that relatives, friends and neighbors detest you, reject you and have nothing to do with you -very sad state of affairs. This is the same reason, relations of the deceased, grab property, break relational-ties with the widow and her children and reject she and the children – very very sad, and this is what 90% of the Zambian widows go through. I, too, experienced such rejection and property was taken away from us because people who do not know the Lord believe in ghosts and are very much afraid of ghosts and can’t associate with ‘widows who have ghosts’ and this is a very serious matter in Africa and Zambia. An African/Zambian mind is a very superstitious mind and is always preoccupied by spirits and ghosts, except for those of us who are in Christ.
MONICA NSHOKOSHI TELLS HER STORY…………………
Monica Nsokoshi, has been a widow for more than 20 years now. When her husband died, she vowed never to re-marry because of the brutality and hostility she faced from her in-laws. Her in-laws rejected she and her children, grabbed property from her and demanded that she pay them alot of money – this is unheard of in America but this is so real in Africa/Zambia.
and no hope for ‘tommorrow’. Her future looked bleak and dark. She kept wondering who would come to her aid and help her stand on her two feet once again and as she kept praying and seeking the face of God for her survival, she heard about Mama Monica with her 10 orphaned children became very lonely and a cast away. All she had was Christ. She did know what to do and where to touch. She lived a life of hopelenessWiphan care Ministries, joined Wiphan skills training and learned all the skills.
When Mama Nsokoshi came to Wiphan, she was first and foremost exposed to the word of God and went through prayer that helped her forgive her in-laws and she was helped to receive healing to her crushed and broken heart. Mama Nsokoshi learned how to make attires from her tailoring skill, she also learned how to make samoosas, fritters, which she makes and sells every day and earns a living at the ‘end of the day’.
Mama Nsokoshi has a wonderful testimony concerning what God has done for her through Wiphan. At Wiphan, she received healing to her broken soul, learned skills which are helping her feed her orphans and also orphaned grandchildren. She is very grateful that, last year, she even built a maddy house and she proudly says that Wiphan was established for her! Because of what she learned at Wiphan, she now has a job at Wiphan – Praise be to God!!!