Meet Cynthia
A Spotlight on Family Preservation and Empowerment
When Cynthia gave birth to triplets, everything changed. Already a mother of two daughters and the principal breadwinner in her household, Cynthia was doing everything in her power to provide for her children and family. Cynthia is very business-minded. She has a small business selling dry fish at local markets, and when she saves a bit of money, she invests it into her other business selling ladies shoes. But, looking at her beautiful newborn triplets, and contemplating three new mouths to feed, Cynthia knew she was going to need a small miracle to make ends meet.
Photos by Lindsay Walder
Cynthia shares a 3-room house with her parents, sisters, nieces and nephews. All in all, fourteen family members share the space in the modest house. Her parents, despite being advanced in age, grow maize to help put food on the table. One of Cynthia’s sisters stays to help at home as she doesn’t have enough money to enroll in a college program. Two other sisters have been dealing with serious health issues, leaving them dependent on Cynthia for support.
Before she knew it, Cynthia’s triplets were two months old, and they were becoming dangerously underweight. She realized they would need formula and food supplements to keep them healthy. Where could she turn? Then, one day Cynthia heard two women at the market talking about ACE, and the work ACE was doing to support Zambian families through the Family Preservation and Empowerment Program (FPEP). Maybe this is the miracle I’ve been waiting for! Cynthia thought, and enrolled herself and her children in the program. They began to receive nutrition support, and her children progressed. Soon the triplets were back to a healthy weight!
Cynthia also began to receive Entrepreneurship and Skills Training, along with seed capital and mentorship to help with her business. With ACE’s help, she created a local savings group with other women in her neighborhood, pooling funds to help one another should any of them need financial assistance in the future.
Wanting to grow her business, Cynthia started making doormats and fritters, skills she attained while in the ACE program. Furthermore, Cynthia has plans of diversifying her business into cattle rearing once she raises enough funds. With this new cattle business, she is optimistic that her income will increase as she starts to sell the cattle at Kasumbalesa, a busy border post between Zambia and Congo.
Along with other families in Lusaka’s Chongwe district, Cynthia’s family has also benefited from the Pass on Goat Initiative that is aimed at helping families earn more income once the goats reach reproductive age, multiplying and ready for the market. Currently she has seven goats.
As the head of her household of fourteen, Cynthia is trying hard to stay engaged in multiple businesses in order to support them. She loses the most sleep over her oldest daughter, who is nineteen. Having completed her secondary education, her daughter is now waiting to hear whether she has been accepted to the University of Zambia. Cynthia fears that if her daughter is not granted a Bursary sponsorship at the University, she may have to apply to an institution that offers much lower tuition fees. Cynthia is determined to have her oldest daughter get a University education. She believes that her daughter will then mentor her younger siblings, inspiring them to follow in her footsteps and find new paths to success that are only available through higher education.
Looking back, Cynthia can’t help but feel that God granted her the miracle she prayed for. How would she have managed to feed her children, had she not received the support? Now, her triplets are nourished, healthy, and growing. And, even though money is still tight, Cynthia has the skills and entrepreneurial training she needs to improve her financial situation. Her newfound confidence gives her hope that the future is bright for her and her children.
