A Widow’s Story
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Elita and her children
Elita and Jennifer
At twenty-four, Elita is a mother of four—and already a widow. Jennifer Keltner, COTN–USA Intern Ministry Director, served this last summer in Malawi and had the opportunity to get to know Elita.
Five years ago, Elita lost her husband and was left as the sole provider for their children. In Malawi, the custom is that if a widow gets remarried, then all of her possessions go back to her deceased husband’s family. Another custom is for one of the deceased husband’s brothers to marry the widow, thus keeping all the possessions in the family. Recently, 4 ½ years after her husband’s death, Elita’s deceased husband’s brother decided he wanted to marry her. Elita refused for several reasons, one of which being that she feared he might be HIV-positive. Refusing his proposal is when the trouble began.
“This past April, Elita’s husband’s family came and took everything she owned and literally destroyed her house—taking the doors, shutters, roof, etc.,” says Jennifer. “She was literally left with nothing and is temporarily living in a single-room house for free.” But she can’t stay there much longer. And since COTN doesn’t officially build houses, and Elita doesn’t have the means to do so herself, she found herself in a hopeless situation.
To rebuild Elita’s home will cost 150,000 kwacha (approx. $1,071), an amount unimaginable to Elita, who is barely able to provide for her family. However, within a few short days, God provided the funds needed for Elita to have a new home. Jennifer had sent an email to the COTN sponsor that sponsors all four of Elita’s children, alerting them to the problem. “The sponsor could not say ‘I want to help!’ fast enough!” said Jennifer. “At first she was a little concerned that it was a lot of money, but she quickly emailed back that a friend of hers was willing to contribute also.” After hearing the news, Elita could not stop smiling all day. “It has been such a blessing to be here serving alongside the interns and teams,” said Jennifer. “They have all worked really hard, and have grown in their walks with the Lord. And we have all witnessed God’s hand at work here.”
