A Day in the Life: Agnes

In the heart of a village in northern Zambia, there is a woman named Agnes taking care of three grandchildren. And even though they are decades apart, Agnes and her grandchildren share a bond of loss. Years ago, a mother and father fell to HIV and, in their passing, left these four together.

Agnes has roots in this village. She has lived in Murundu for 32 years, her latest home is the most intricate and well equipped that we saw during our interviews. Each room is clearly distinguishable- a kitchen, living room and two separate bedrooms. Each of the beds is adorned with a mosquito net and small accent pieces. Her house and yard is clearly the social hub for other women as well. By late-morning, many other caregivers are gathered on her front steps, laughing and preparing lunch for the orphans at the neighboring site on which LRPI & Enfys run school classes. Agnes' income is provided by a stand she runs just outside of her front door. She sells charcoal, groundnuts, cassava and chikanda (Zambian bologna) from the merchant hut. All together, the items bring in about 120,000 Kwacha a week- just enough to feed the family once a day.

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On a typical day, before the family’s only meal, Agnes begins by completing chores with the children. Once the children leave for school, Agnes begins cooking for her shop. Chikanda, the special Zambian bologna, is made every day and bought up every night by men who walk home late from one of the multiple village bars. By mid-morning, anyone walking near the center of the village is greeted by loud, aggressive tunes blasting from the bar huts with men staggering around the edges. In a place with already so many hardships, it is absolutely disheartening to see how much more damage alcohol can cause.

To supplement the income she needs to travel into the city once a month to buy supplies for her shop, Agnes also helps create specially woven bags to sell around the village. Megan and I saw many of these bags being made while we walked around. It's nearly the equivalent of watching your grandmother knit or crochet, except these women weave recycled plastic bags into intricate patterns, shapes and sizes that you would actually love to receive for Christmas.    

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LRPI and Enfys work together to provide the women of the village with tools to help them grow as a community. This past season, Enfys provided money to the group so that they could fertilize and finance a 50x50 plot for crops. In return, Agnes and the women gave a tin back to Enfys in appreciation- a sign that the women are learning not only receive aid, but also give back.

Along with being a caring grandmother, Agnes also serves as a caregiver to two additional children in the village. When a member of our team asked Agnes to take a child to the clinic, an activity that requires a careful calculation of time and loss of profit to a villager of Murundu, she did it without hesitation. There are rare moments in life that I've had the honor to meet someone so incredibly strong and nurturing. It's as if Agnes has harnessed as much love in her heart as what's usually spread between three people. Like the love of those family members she and her grandchildren lost just swells up inside of her. She is a rarity and we are honored to be a part of her life and, more importantly, to have her as a part of ours.

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