Online Reporter
Latwell Nyangu
PASTOR Jestina Gandawa was married for 43 years but she was not blessed with children.
She is a pastor at ZAOGA Forward In Faith Ministries.
Pastor Gandawa has faced all sorts of abuse, including being labelled a witch, who ‘eats her children’.
Her husband died in 2020.
She told H-Metro they visited a number of doctors, and prayed, but their marriage could not be blessed with children. She founded Mufaro Foundation, an organisation which caters for women living with the condition of infertility.
The organisation helps the women to deal with emotions related to the infertility stigma.
“You know, we were given some names like you are a witch, you are eating your own children.
“I was married and I can say happily married to my husband, and you know what is expected when someone is married.
“We were expecting after every month, every year but we stayed for over 40 years without the fruit of the womb. We visited doctors and many prayed for us but nothing happened.
“My husband used to love me and I loved my husband.
“You have friends, you were together in school, you are together in church and they came to your wedding. The first question when you meet is they ask how many kids do you have, what are you doing these days, and you know sometimes they will be just telling you to have just one child.
“You know all those things they will be saying to you.”
Pastor Gandawa said it was not easy, considering the demands from the families.
“Even your own relatives will be saying some things to you.
“It’s like every time when you are married and if you have stayed a year or some days, some months, they will be expecting you to start spitting, you know.
“But, when there is nothing that has happened, they will blame the wives, the woman, I don’t know.”
She added:
“Until today, I don’t know why it is the woman who is always to blame, yet when we research, there are a lot of things that can make some people not have children.
“So that’s Mufaro and our aim is to help those people to understand.
“I like the women, who are suffering from infertility, to fight so that they can stand for themselves in this situation, in this stigma, grief, you know, all those things.
“Our vision is to see a world where every woman living with infertility is empowered, valued and given the opportunity to lead their own and fulfilled life. We are also there to help the community to understand that if someone is a barren, is not having a child, the community needs to understand that it is not her fault.
“It is not their husband’s fault, we are there to help the community and also the relatives like the mothers-in-law.”
The organisation will be hosting some workshops. We will be having some workshops, empowering them physically and visiting places.
“Our objectives are to give hope, support, inclusion, nurturing, and empower those women.
“Our vision is to see a world, a country where women who are living with infertility are empowered and given an opportunity to lead.”
