A Mother’s Turning Point: Finding Strength in the Midst of Pain

By Ronald Magweta (Communications Officer)

When Nester reflects on her life before joining the Celebrating Families programme in Buhera District, she describes a home marked by pain, silence and emotional strain.

“Life was tough,” says the 49-year-old mother of two, who also cares for her niece while her husband works in the city and travels back and forth. “There was so much emotional abuse that I only realised later in life. I was not happy all this time.”

There were moments when the burden felt unbearable. At one point, she says, she considered taking her own life. 

“I thought of committing suicide, but when I looked at my children, I stopped. I realised they still needed me.”

Her marriage was equally fragile. She contemplated divorce and returning to her parents’ home, but even there she saw brokenness. “My parents were separated. I realised things were not going to work that way.”

Alcohol often intensified tensions at home.

“My husband would come home drunk and sometimes assault me. The children would cry when they witnessed this.” 

The atmosphere in the home affected everyone — especially the children.

The turning point came around 2023, when Nester and other families in her community were trained under World Vision’s Celebrating Families model — a programme designed to strengthen family relationships, improve parenting practices and create safe, nurturing environments for children.

“We were taught many things,” she explains. 

“What children really need to be happy. How to have a stable relationship that keeps the whole family together.”

The programme did not focus on women alone. Her husband later joined World Vision programming and began attending a men’s forum in the area. “I believe it changed him immensely,” she said.

Gradually, patterns began to shift. Conversations replaced confrontation. Understanding replaced fear. The home environment began to stabilise.

Faith, once a source of tension between them, also became a point of unity. 

“I used to pray a lot, but my husband wanted me to attend his church, while I preferred mine. Later he approved, and he started following me there. Now we go to church together.”

Today, church attendance has increased for the entire family. Nester teaches her children to read the Bible regularly, and they rarely miss Sunday service. What was once a divided household is now finding shared values and shared purpose.

Beyond her own home, Nester has become a voice of encouragement in her village. 

“After being trained in Celebrating Families, I now advise other women on how to have stable marriages,” she says. She was part of a group of about 50 women who received guidance and support, including mentorship from a local pastor.

The ripple effects are visible across the community. “Our area has benefitted a lot,” she adds. “There is also an increase of men following their wives to church.”

Celebrating Families is built on a simple but powerful principle: when families are strengthened, children thrive. By addressing emotional abuse, improving communication, engaging men, and promoting positive parenting, the model creates safer homes where children can grow without fear.

For Nester, the change is deeply personal. “He is now a changed man,” she says of her husband.

Her story is one of restoration — not only of a marriage, but of dignity, hope and stability for her children. In Buhera, families like hers are discovering that when relationships are healed, communities begin to transform.