By Sokosi Silvester Banda, Zambia.
On a Monday early morning in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, a 42-year-old Mercy Chisala gently lifts her four-year-old son onto her back. The child lives with cerebral palsy and does not walk. Every step the mother makes must be balanced, every task carefully planned.
The boy’s father has been estranged since shortly after his birth. For Mercy, like many single mothers in Lusaka, raising children with disabilities, their partner’s abandonment marked the beginning of a lifelong struggle.
Children born with disabilities, particularly neurological ones, including Autism, Hydrocephalus, Cerebral palsy, and Spina bifida, require specialised care, constant attention, and access to fundamental necessities. When fathers abandon their families, these responsibilities devolve entirely upon mothers.
The generosity of grassroots organisations, neighbours, and community initiatives like Chawama Divine Care (CDC) become crucial support system for most mothers. “I am currently alone, struggling with the child, the father left us,” Mercy said. ” Each day comes with its own challenges: meals, medicine, and therapy sessions. I do not know if we would survive without support from the community and Chawama Divine Care Centre, who have been there for us.” CDC is a Community-Based Organisation that provides basic needs like food, clothes, blankets, and wheelchairs to those in need. These provisions supplement the low-income families in Lusaka who have to care for children with disabilities.
Agness Dube, whose daughter is 1 year and 7 months old, was diagnosed with a neurological condition that necessitated 24-hour care. “I had to quit my job completely because my child needed care all the time. Her father disappeared when he just received medical results,” she explained. Mercy and Agness are not alone in this situation, 4 other women who asked to remain anonymous thanked Chawam Devine Care, their extended community, as well as local companies partnered for their aid. “These people have been there for us when no one else was,” one of them shared.
A recent door-to-door study conducted by Chawama Divine Care Centre (CDC- 2018) in Chawama Community and surrounding areas revealed that at least two out of every three mothers caring for children with disabilities are raising their children alone without their partners. This reveals a systemic problem driven by poverty, social vulnerability, and gender inequality. It also forms the ethos of why CDC was formed. Grace Musonda founded Chawama Divine Care after years of witnessing mothers struggling to care for children with disabilities in the absence of their partners.
What started as a community school in Chawama’s underserved communities has now grown, providing support to over 200 children with disabilities alongside other vulnerable, able-bodied children. “It was just a small community initiative when we started, and we quickly realised the need was much greater than we thought. Some families could not even afford regular meals, with no time, we had to come in and provide a place where these children could be safe, nurtured, and fed,” she said.
Through its care programmes, the Centre now operates comprehensively, considering nutrition, education, skills training, and medical support. Children with disabilities are offered therapy, as well as hospital coordination for medical attention and meals. Children who are able-bodied but come from vulnerable or orphaned backgrounds are also supported by the centre through the provision of education opportunities and amenities, including books, bags, school fees, and uniforms. Grace Musonda explains, “When we receive them, we assess each child’s needs to ensure that they receive the right care. Many of them who required specialised medical attention, we took them to the hospital. Our goal remains to ensure no child is left behind.”
To ensure sustainability, the centre also runs projects to help mothers gain skills and earn their own money to keep their families going. “We realised that if we only looked after the children and forgot their mothers, our
The work would not have a lasting impact. Mothers are now learning different skills, making peanut butter, tailoring, and other skills,” she offers.
Brenda Ngemba, one of them who has benefited from the skills development program, says that the women are benefiting despite limited equipment. “We have two tailoring machines and one peanut butter machine that we all share to earn additional income. The initiative by Chawama Divine Care is doing a tremendous job already in empowering us.” Suzan Njani expressed that the training has given her independence; “I have learnt how to make peanut butter. Now I work independently to support myself and my family.” Janet Chama also shares that the skills are already making a difference in their lives. “When we make peanut butter, we share the money amongst ourselves to support our children. We are appealing to other other Individuals and companies to emulate Grace Musonda by ensuring there is enough space and adequate equipment for them to work.”
Musonda’s approach goes beyond emergency care; she emphasises the importance of independence and long-term sustainability. “We know that one day we will not be here. If families are too dependent on us, they might not survive when we are gone. We need them to stand on their own.”
Musonda has been recognised for her work, and she is now considered a key advocate for disability inclusion, being a community leader and encouraging grassroots philanthropy in Lusaka. Her efforts inspired many individuals, organisations, and corporate partners to come in and collaborate with the Divine Care Centre.
ZSIC General Insurance recently donated 60 blankets, 21 mattresses, academic materials, and foodstuffs valued at K36, 000 (approximately $1, 590 USD). The company’s Managing Director, Trevor Jengajenga, stressed that “Children abandoned by their fathers deserve love, nourishment, dignity, and hope. Our support to Chawama Divine Care is to ensure that these vulnerable children are not left alone.”
These collaborations show the power of coordinated African philanthropy, combining community knowledge, expertise, NGO, and corporate social responsibility to meet immediate needs. The Divine Care Centre has grown into an example of African-led philanthropy, demonstrating how targeted, locally-driven initiatives can address systemic social challenges in these communities.
Community advocate and husband to Chawama Devine Care Centre Founder, Mike Chilufya, expressed disappointment over the situation. “Leaving mothers to take care of the children alone is cruel. Every child, regardless of status, deserves care from both parents. It’s high time that Fathers start embracing these responsibilities.”
Civil society advocates have warned that the issue of abandonment in Zambia is not merely a personal struggle but a broader social problem. Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC), through its Executive Director, Anne Mbewe Anamela, expressed displeasure, urging the government to protect the children and their mothers. “Men need to know that the burden is immense when they run away from their wives, and it is a violation of gender justice and children’s rights. We believe that raising awareness through the media is critical to protect vulnerable families from these illegalities,” she declares.
Similarly, Miyanda Chilufya, Board Chairperson for Restoration for Community Justice (RSCJ), has explained that taking care of children as parents needs commitment. “Being a father needs care, commitment, and accountability. Many men in Zambia today simply lack these qualities. Abandoning your own children despite their condition is a failure of character and responsibility,” Mr. Chilufya stated.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has acknowledged the challenges that mothers and children with disabilities face due to persistent social and economic barriers. It reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its rights through existing Laws. Community Development and Social Services Minister, Doreen Mwamba, reiterated that the government is implementing the 2025 National Policy on persons with disabilities and
Disability Mainstream Guidelines to integrate these issues into national planning, service delivery, and budgeting.
She also said that the government is strengthening the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022, which clearly places responsibility on parents to provide care, support, and protection for their children. Ms. Mwamba said continued abandonment reflects a deeper social and structural lacuna that must be addressed now, recognising the important role philanthropy plays in communities. The Minister explained that disability inclusion is both a legal and moral obligation. “People must know that parental responsibility is not optional; it is a mandatory responsibility by Law,” she said.
The Minister further disclosed that the government is expanding disability responsive services and social protection programmes to ensure that no child is excluded from healthcare, education, and general social services due to disability or parental neglect.
As single mothers continue to depend on community generosity for survival, the government acknowledges that philanthropy alone cannot carry the heavy weight of child abandonment. Shared experiences of single mothers reveal a deeper national challenge that demands immediate attention to ensure that all children are protected and no mother is left alone to carry the burden.