Restina is the epitome of a hardworking mom.
On any given day, you can find her trekking into town with her 1-year-old strapped to her back and her arms filled with fruit. She will spend all morning and afternoon selling the fruit by the roadside before making the journey back home to her four other children.
She’ll get hugs and cuddles from the little ones and check in with her oldest daughter who is in charge whenever she is away … and by then, it’s almost time for the kids to go to bed.
Once they’re all asleep, she goes to work at her second job — cooking rice, beans, and pig skins to sell at a nearby restaurant.
Restina’s children have told her many times that they wish she didn’t have to spend so many hours outside the home working. But what choice does she have? She has five little mouths to feed and no husband to help her.
Restina used to be happily married, but then her husband began drinking all the time and didn’t want to spend any time working. He expected Restina to be the sole provider for the household. When she pushed him to get a job, he left.
It’s up to her alone to pay the rent, pay her children’s school fees, and buy their books and school uniforms.
After all these major necessary expenses, there’s little money left over for food … or at least that’s the way it used to be.
Fortunately, World Help donors recently shipped a container filled with rice and other food to Restina’s community in Zambia.
Restina was so excited when she heard about this tremendous blessing. Her children wouldn’t go hungry!
She rushed to the place where the food would be distributed, a huge smile on her face, and got in line with the other families. Like her, most of them were single moms with babies strapped to their backs or in their arms.
Finally, her turn came, and she collected the food for her family. She was overjoyed, thinking about how many meals the packs of nutrient-fortified rice would provide.
Restina immediately began cooking as soon as she returned home. The children gathered around to watch and see what their mom was so excited about. She scooped them each a heaping bowl of the hot rice, unstrapped the baby from her back, and finally got to sit down and enjoy a nice family meal with all of her children.
The kids were so grateful for the food and to see their mom happy, relaxed, and able to spend time with them without worrying about working to provide their next meal.
When interviewed, Restina said, “No matter how hard I work, it is difficult for me to make ends meet, so the supply of rice goes a long way toward supplementing my efforts. I am also happy because it is so easy to prepare that my daughter can prepare it for her siblings too.”
Restina asked us to thank everyone who gave to help ship this food. She no longer feels like she has no one to help her. She knows people care about her and her kids, and she now has what she needs to help them survive.
If you’re interested in helping ship food and other lifesaving supplies, click the button below to learn how you can get involved and how your donation will multiply 21X!
You can make a life-changing difference for another person like Restina.
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