Motivated by sponsorship
“What was considered a bleak light has become the shining light in the lives of many; I am now like a cornerstone for not only my family but the extended families as well,” says Yule Mwewa, a former World Vision sponsored child.
Yule, 33, comes from Kawimbe village in Mbala Area Development Programme (ADP), about 1,075 kilometres north of Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.
Born from a family of eight, Yule was one of the first sponsored children when Mbala ADP was established many years ago.
“I was blessed, a Mrs K. Masson got to sponsor me and supported me in many ways,” Yule narrates, with a smile.
“As a sponsored child she supported my education throughout. I used to receive uniforms and [sponsorship] paid my school fees among other things,” he explains, “and fortunate enough I happened to be quite outstanding at school – I have been having very good results throughout.”
The former sponsored child began his primary education at Kawimbe school before qualifying to complete his lower and upper secondary education at Mbala Secondary School.
"Our parents had a desire to educate us but literally lacked any source of income to do so."
“At the time when World Vision started to sponsor me, it was a time of real struggle for my parents. Survival was extremely hard. They could not even afford to provide basic meals for us as children, worse still for our education. Our parents had a desire to educate us but literally lacked any source of income to do so,” Yule narrates, as he moves his head from side to side.
Despite being exposed to all sorts of hardships associated with typical rural life in Zambia where 80 per cent of the population suffers from poverty, World Vision’s support for Yule as a sponsored child was just what he needed to reactivate his zeal to excel to greater heights.
Motivated by sponsorship
“World Vision’s sponsorship motivated me to work even harder so when I wrote my Grade 12 exams in 1997and achieved my general certificate of education (GCE), in the Zambian context, I was the best student at my school at the time– I got eight points,” Yule explains.
According to the Zambian education standard, getting such results automatically grants that child an opportunity to study at the University of Zambia (UNZA), the country’s biggest and highest institution of learning. Yule wanted to study medicine, but could not muster the funds.
“That almost became the end of my hopes but I never gave up. I started a small business, hoping to raise some money to start another course in college but I kept asking World Vision to help me,” he says. After several business challenges, his hopes were dashed when his business collapsed.
“My dreams and hopes got shuttered and there seemed no way out but thankfully, after five years of struggle, a new Mbala ADP Manager by the name of Dimuna Mwanza came; she tirelessly pushed for my sponsorship approval until World Vision finally allowed me to pursue ACCA, which was my second option."
In 2002, Yule began his Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) course at Chingola School of accountancy, in Copperbelt province of Zambia.
“That time ACCA was extremely difficult to crack so a lot of people discouraged me and thought I was not going to make it but I took up the challenge,” Yule recalls. “I successfully completed the course in 2005.”
“At the time I was completing the course, my parents were in dire need of help to see my siblings through their education but there was no financial support. I needed a job to redeem the situation and by God’s grace when I moved to Lusaka in search of a job I got my first job with an audit firm where I worked for two years only,” Yule explains.
A passion to give back
Being a former sponsored child, Yule had a passion to serve World Vision so he decided to join the organisation as accountant for Mwinilunga Area Development Programme, where he worked for two years.
Now working for Zambia National Technology Business Centre (ZNTBC), statutory body under the government ministry responsible for science and technology, as Finance and Administration Manager, Yule’s achievements and dreams have grown even bigger.
“World Vision gave me the catalyst of getting me to a new level in life,” Yule says. “I have seen myself rise not only from the perspective of work but also personal life and religious life. Imagine the time I have risen to all the work related positions as a manager, that is the same way I have raised in church – from being a mere leader to church secretary and now the church board.”
Yule, who congregates with the Pentecost Holiness Church in Zambia, has a passion and commitment to serving the most needy in the church and the church’s growth.
“The springboard I got from World Vision has opened others doors in my life – I have ventured into other businesses to broaden my income sources. This has made it easier for me to extend my hand to many other people and the work of God,” he explains.
Married to Mirriam for nine years now, Yule, a father to two children – Emmanuel, 7, and Natasha, 3, says he stands as a pillar and bread winner for not only his biological family but the extended family as well.
“I have managed to build a house of high standard for my parents in the village and another four-bedroomed house for my family though I am constructing another big house for myself within Lusaka. I am running a fleet of taxi buses and butcheries which are giving me every day income to support my family, the work of God, siblings, and to provide farm inputs for my relatives and parents,” he emphasises.
“I have educated my elder brother who is working as an assistant accountant, another sister who is a social worker at one of the water utility companies in Lusaka and I am still supporting the education of some more siblings and a friend who are pursuing different courses in colleges right now,” Yule says.
Yule has other, bigger dreams which he says he hopes to achieve not later than five years from now, in real estate development, with the hope that he will be able to help more people.
The humble and soft spoken man adds, “God is gracious to me; I have reached a point where I don’t lack anything ... I have chosen to share what I have with others just as my sponsor demonstrated to me through World Vision. I thank God who is using me to change other lives and to support his work.”
Yule says it took God’s intervention to be at the level he is now and do what he is doing for his personal life, career and religious works as a Christian. “I thank World Vision and my sponsor very much especially that their support sustained me throughout.”
“I have learnt from my sponsor that when you open hands for others in need, God will open more doors in your life and you will prosper."
“I have learnt from my sponsor that when you open hands for others in need, God will open more doors in your life and you will prosper. Just imagine, I am just 33 years old but God has placed me in various managerial positions where one would say they are only meant for elderly people because of critical issues discussed and decisions made there either at work, church or Boards which I am sitting on,” Yule explains.
Yule, who is now a Board Member for World Vision Zambia, says God has given him wisdom to succeed in all the roles.
Sponsorship has enormous impact
“All this is because I was once a sponsored child. I would like to say World Vision sponsorship programme touches children’s lives to the detail. The sponsor out there may not know to what extent a child is receiving support to get them there in life but when you look at the details, children’s lives are changing in terms of health, education, and their general standard of living. The impact is enormous.”
Yule says he would be miserable by now without the World Vision child sponsorship programme that supported his education throughout.
“I usually figure out what would have happened to my life without World Vision and my sponsor. Fine people said and school results showed that I was intelligent but what would I have done with that intelligence or results without the support; my parents were not in any position able to afford my education ... It was difficult for them but now because of World Vision, I am able to help my parents and siblings with everything they need,” he recaps.
“What more do I need?” he asks, “My desire for now is if I could meet Mrs K. Masson in person to say thank you. Now, I feel indebted to World Vision and this is why I want to contribute in some way through the Board.”
“The blessing which amounts for the works of Mrs K. Masson not only in this world but also in the life to come is enormous because her works of transformation in my life are the works which attribute to her life too and are recognised before the presence of God,” he adds.
“Now my children are guaranteed of a good education and future because whatever I will achieve is for them. To World Vision staff, I thank you for your sacrifices for the children you serve; I know what you earn cannot be compared to what you put in and deserve,” Yule says.