Lontia Kwinika, aged 32, is the 9th child in a family of 12. She has never attended school due to poverty. She got married at 18, but her husband left for South Africa in search of better opportunities. He later informed her over the phone that their marriage was over, prompting Lontia to return to her parents’ home. Despite the large family, she started living independently. However, her life remained difficult, and she struggled to meet her basic needs. In 2014, she married again, but her new husband’s lack of steady work and penchant for drinking didn’t improve her situation. Lontia took on the responsibility of providing for her family, often walking 20 to 25 kms in search of food. Her fortunes changed in 2022 when the Wells for Zoë organisation began working in her area.

Lontia started working with Wells for Zoë the same day we were starting our services in Kadikechi and she has been working very hard since because she knows that it’s the only way she can find her needs.

Since 2022 she has been farming on her own and she has been supporting herself, her 3 children and her husband also, through the work at Wells or Zoë. Since 2022 she has been harvesting more yields and she is not walking the 20 kms she was walking in search of food.

She is now happy because she manages to send her 3 children to school without her husband’s support. She is living a happy life.

She says thank you to Wells for Zoë and is requesting for more years of working in Kadikechi.