Rising from adversity: The Transformative Story of 41-Year-Old Onice
By Agatha Mali, Communications, Zambia
41-year-old Onice was a vibrant woman living in a remote village in Luapula Province, Zambia. Married with four young children, she led a modest life filled with hopes for a brighter future.
But her world came crashing down when she was diagnosed with an underlying health condition that required ongoing medical attention. Instead of standing by her side, her husband left. Overnight, Onice found herself a single mother, struggling to care for her children while also managing her own health challenges.
“I thought my world had ended,” Onice recalls, her voice breaking slightly. “How would I take care of my children? How would I even take care of myself?”
With no source of income and her health adding to her burdens, she had no choice but to return to her parents' home.
Her parents, elderly subsistence farmers, welcomed her with open arms, but they could barely make ends meet themselves. Days turned into weeks, and Onice felt a deep sense of despair. Her once-bright dreams seemed to fade, replaced by questions about how she could provide for her children and herself.
At her lowest point, hope arrived in the form of World Vision Zambia through the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) model. This initiative conducted a series of training sessions for people in the settlement and the surrounding host communities. The training aimed to empower the most vulnerable households and help them become self-sufficient.
The program introduced Onice to a livestock farming initiative. She was selected to participate in the program and received extensive training in entrepreneurship, sustainable farming techniques, and business management.
Determined to turn her life around, Onice immersed herself in the training. She was empowered with skills and resources to kickstart her journey. Starting with a few chickens provided by the program, she built her small farm from the ground up. She learned to breed her livestock, incubate eggs, and reinvest her earnings to expand her business.
“I had no idea how much chickens could change a life,” Onice says with a smile. “They provided eggs for my children, manure for my small vegetable garden, and, over time, I was able to sell a few to buy other household necessities.”
As her business flourished, so did Onice’s confidence. She was able to afford school fees and medical care for her children, build a house within her parents’ yard, and even train other women in livestock farming.
“My children now go to bed with full stomachs, and they wake up with hope for tomorrow,” Onice says. “I never imagined I could come this far. What seemed like the end was just the beginning of a new chapter.”
Onice is deeply grateful to World Vision and its partners for supporting vulnerable people in various communities. “I want to thank our donors for transforming our lives because, from starting with only 20 chickens, I now own over 150 chickens,” she says proudly.