Epilepsy almost took Emmanuel’s life. Now he’s thriving.
Emmanuel began having seizures as a teenager. At first, he had no idea what was happening to him, and without access to medical care, he couldn’t afford to find out. He continued to attend school with his two younger brothers, but every time he experienced a seizure, he’d forget everything he learned. Eventually, he fell […]
Miles, Maize and Miracles
The first time Sungano attended a Zoe Empowers meeting, she arrived so late the meeting was nearly finished. Not only was she late, but she was breathless, sweating, and covered in dirt. The Zoe Empowers program facilitator leading the meeting was concerned about her desperate appearance and began asking Sungano questions. Sungano, then 15, replied […]
Zoe awakens Salome’s spirit and ignites her purpose
The day Salome’s father disappeared is one she’ll never forget. She and her two younger siblings had gone to school. Their mother was tending to the small home the family of five shared, while their father provided for the household. This pattern of life resembled many other families living in rural Tanzania. When Salome’s father […]
Gladness empowers young girls to claim their rights.
Zoe youth donate 270 textbooks to local school to commemorate Day of the African Child
In honor of the Day of the African Child, five Zoe Empowers groups united to donate 270 textbooks to Chimungu Full Primary School. The five empowerment groups, which consist of over 130 orphaned and vulnerable households from Chimungu region, collectively raised MK1,323,000 from a recent maize harvest to buy the books. The donated books include […]
Fiona’s Fight for Family
Days before Fiona’s mother passed away, she made one last request of her eldest daughter: take care of her three younger siblings. Despite being thirteen and still a child herself, Fiona promised her mother she would honor this request. Shortly after her mother’s death, Moussa, Fiona’s seven-month-old brother, had a seizure. The episode scared Fiona […]
From Program Member to Program Facilitator
Manley is no stranger to grief and hardship. After losing his mother in 2006 and then his father in 2008, he went to live with his aunt and uncle. Manley’s aunt used brutal ways of parenting: shouting, beating, corporal punishment, and food deprivation. She depleted him of the little confidence he had left. But still, […]
Timothy and His Giving Tree
Timothy’s grandmother gave him two gifts before she passed away. The first was a small gourd, meant to symbolize giving. The gourd only darkened if he gave to others. “The darker the gourd, the richer his life will be,” she told him. At the time, Timothy didn’t believe he had anything to give. He was […]
10 Reasons Zoe Empowers is Unlike Other Children’s Charities
A new door opens for Faith
Faith still remembers the day she knocked on her uncle’s door. It wasn’t long after the death of her parents. She was fifteen, and her younger brother, Martin, was eight. They hadn’t eaten in several days, and Faith was beginning to fear they wouldn’t survive on their own. After a few seconds, the uncle’s new […]