ZULU WOMEN OF HOPE – SPEAKING HOPE IN DESPAIR
Doris* (not her real name) decided to commit suicide after discovering she was HIV positive. She lost hope in any future as the solution required dramatic change! What would the future even look like? How could she live a normal life? At this point, Doris began listening to TWR’s Women of Hope programme in the language of her heart - Zulu.
Through practical wisdom and spiritual discipleship, the Women of Hope programmes have saved, inspired and grown many listeners around the world. Women have even formed listener groups around the programme. During these sessions, parenting and family-oriented programmes in the Zulu language are played on audio players and the women discuss how to apply the Bible-based lessons to their lives.
One of the TWR Women of Hope facilitators visited Doris during her time of crisis. She had no idea that Doris was contemplating suicide. Doris gave her life to the Lord and received an audio Bible. She now attends prayer meetings. Doris’ life-changing story has encouraged the care supporters in her listener group and also encouraged prayer groups leaders in other groups to keep going.
Doris is one of millions of women throughout the world today who are facing life challenges. They have lost hope. She learnt that not only is the world a dark and dangerous place for countless women, but the spiritual darkness in which these women live in is even greater than their physical plight. She knew that she had an unshakeable burden to help suffering women all over the world.
Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa (24% of the population), understood by over 50% of its population. It became one of South Africa's 11 official languages in 1994. According to ethnologue.com, it is the second most widely spoken of the Bantu languages, after Swahili.
While any reader in 2020 is undoubtedly familiar with the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns from personal experience, each country has dealt with the virus in a different way, and how the virus has affected the people of any given country depends largely on what constitutes the standard way of life in that particular country.
by the TWR Canada Team