By United Church of Zambia

Tina Siamujemu, 26, a mother of four, lives in Zambia, where many women experience physical violence and trauma at the hands of their husbands. Through Self Help Groups, World Renew and our partner, the United Church of Zambia, are working to change the story of gender injustice. Tina, a participant in a Self Help Group, was willing to share her story.

Tina says, “After I got married in 2007, I was abused physically, verbally, and emotionally. My husband beat me and insulted me. He used whatever money he worked for on alcohol and on his girlfriends.” With no financial support from her husband, Tina, who worked as a housemaid, struggled to support her family. To add to her struggles, she says, “He would follow me to work to beat me up. Things got worse each day.” But Tina did not give up.

To better support her family, Tina started her own business making snack chips to sell. But her husband’s violence continued, and during one of his outbursts he destroyed the supplies and equipment Tina used to make the snacks. He beat Tina in public, even attacking her at church. “I developed high blood pressure, and the children were all traumatized,” Tina says.

Finally, drawing on strength from her Self Help Group, Tina found the courage to seek a divorce and pursue a safer life for herself and her children. “I decided to sue for divorce because I could not stand the abuse, torture, and pressure,” she says. But Tina’s courage did not stop there.

Child marriage is another form of gender-based violence in Zambia, and because of what Tina had learned through the Self Help Group, she intervened when her 14-year-old niece became pregnant. “The parents wanted to force her into marriage, but I encouraged them to take her back to school. She has a right to education,” Tina says.

Thanks to support for programs like Self Help Groups, women like Tina are finding strength, rebuilding their lives, and advocating for the rights and dignity of others in their communities.

We invite you to hold women like Tina—and their families and communities—in your prayers. Pray for courage for those facing violence and injustice, for healing and peace for those who have experienced trauma, and for growing awareness of the dignity and rights of women and girls. Pray, too, for continued strength for local partners and advocates who are working to challenge harmful norms, support survivors, and build communities where justice, safety, and hope can flourish.