Mirriam’s Journey
Mirriam C is 35 and a second year Nursing student with Starfish Zambia, and this is her story in her words.
Mirriam was born in 1988 into a family in the Copperbelt region of Zambia where education was not considered a priority so her parents didn’t send her to school after her primary school years.
“I was not in school I never had any help and being kept by my late single mother who didn't understand the important of school it was sad”
She was married when she was just 15 and had her first baby boy, Agape, while still 15. She had 3 more children over the next few years. She was happily married. “Hubby was a kind man” But then in 2013 her husband became ill. At this point she had 4 children from 2 to 10 years old.
“ I was marriage and had 4 children when Hubby became ill.
“In 2015 in Lusaka biggest hospital and we went there for 2 operations ...the putting of drainages in the body to stap fluids from the brain to the bladder becos he develop hydrocephalus. Hubby this time it was 3yrs of his sickness by then he had already lost sight for he had brain tumor and Polycythmia vera” (NOTE Polycythemia vera is a rare blood disorder in which there is an increase in all blood cells which makes your blood thicker. This can lead to strokes or tissue and organ damage).
Hubby suffered and I learnt how to administer drugs since he was surviving with drugs and fluids of which pastor Erica and others from UK were helping us in terms of diapers and other things” (NOTE Nick and Erica Lugg are the pastors of our partner organisation, a Christian charity and churches called Lordsway Ministies).
“He suffered...hospital became our home ....and after a year we were requesting for my Littles to stay with him”
The next few years were tough as Hubby’s condition slowly deteriorated.
“All those clothes you are seeing was given by Dreams ... that team with pastor Erica and Nick 🙌” NOTE: Dreams is a charity, part of Lordsway Ministries.
“He suffered...hospital became our home ....and after a year we were requesting for my Littles to stay with him”
After 5 long years of illness, Hubby died in 2018.
“yes after Hubby died in 2018 a week after my biological mother's death ...becos she just failed and died because she had high blood pressure.”
“These kids were left 7 and 5 now the girl she was 11 and the boy is then 14”
Mirriam was widowed at 29 with 4 children, and has also just lost her mother. She decides to go back to education because she somehow has to build a life for herself and her children. She does what she can to earn a little money during the day and goes to Night School.
“I decide to go back to school and started night school which we call GCE government certificate education grade 9.” Note: Grade 9 is normally for children circa 13 years of age; grade 12 being between 16 and 18 years of age
“In 2019 I wrote my exams passed with flying colors at grade 9 level ...thereafter I started again grade 12 same night school. I wrote my exams at first I managed to pass some subjects first time some I did I resit but I managed that's how I applied at a Government nursing school but had no money to pay it is over K11,000 per year” (NOTE: this was completely out of reach of Mirriam but at a Government subsidised Nursing College it is actually only about £370 per year, 11,200 Kwacha).
This is where Lordsway hand over and Starfish steps in. They did what they do, now it’s over to us to do what we do.
Starfish is fully supporting the courses of both Mirriam and her son Agape, now 20, to become Registered Nurses at Mufulira Teaching Hospital. They are in the second year of their 3 year course. We will then see what more we can do to help them find work when the time comes, but for now, for little more than £2,000 we are able to help this brave little family to get back onto its feet.
Mirriam and Agape
Trainee Registered Nurse Agape. I am sure that father Stephen C (“Hubby”) would be very proud of the fine young man his eldest son has become.