Twenty-five years ago, in the dusty streets of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe...
Gideon and Jennifer Chishamba saw children who had no one to care for them. They did something simple and radical: they cooked a single pot of food and invited those children to eat. That one act – one pot, one night – became the seed of Fountain of Hope. What started as a daily meal grew into a home, then a school, then agriculture projects and vocational programs that change futures.
We started with a meal. God gave us a family.
Linnet - from street to skill
At ten, Linnet was surviving on Bulawayo’s streets after losing her mother. Fountain of Hope’s child-protection team found her, brought her into the home, gave her a bed and steady meals, and enrolled her in school and a catering program. Over time she moved from fighting to survive to running practice service shifts, teaching younger girls and keeping a notebook of recipes and plans. Today Linnet talks about opening a bakery that would hire other vulnerable girls. That shift – from fear and hunger to confidence, marketable skill and a plan to help others – is the change your support makes possible.
Kimberly - finding her voice
Kimberly’s early life was marked by instability, and when she first came to Fountain of Hope she was shy and withdrawn. It was at Fountain of Hope – supported by Streams of Mercy – that she slowly found her confidence. She learned to read there, learned to pray there and learned that her voice mattered.
The turning point came the day she wrote a simple song called “Impilo” (“Life”). She sang it during a weekend gathering. Her voice shook at first, then grew stronger. Staff said it was the first time they saw Kimberly stand tall.
That moment was not about music. It was about healing – a child who once felt invisible discovering she had something worth sharing. Since then, her reading has improved, she participates more in class and she has the courage to repeat her National Exams to push for the future she wants.
This is Streams of Mercy’s impact: a child who once hid behind silence now sings her own story.
More lives being changed
Linnet and Kimberly show what happens when vulnerable children are met with consistent love, safety and opportunity. One arrived hungry and afraid, unsure if she would survive another night on the streets. The other barely spoke above a whisper, carrying the kind of quiet hurt no child should know. Today, one is planning a bakery to lift other girls and the other is standing tall, singing the story of her own healing. These are the futures your generosity protects and makes possible.
Your giving makes a difference
Every gift helps children like Linnet and Kimberly rebuild their lives with safety, love and a real future. Join The Stream and bring hope to vulnerable children worldwide.
