Stories of Hope: Donata
Orphaned at age 15, Donata was left to raise her four siblings. When their house collapsed, the children moved into a small mud hut with an elderly aunt. Hungry and sleeping in tight quarters on the floor, Donata says she became bitter and lost hope.
When ZOE’s Executive Director Greg Jenks and a team visited Donata in her new home built by ZOE Ministry, she shared her story:
- Donata smiles in front of the home being built for her by ZOE.
“I was hopeless. When I met the Giving Hope staff in March, I felt love and began to smile. They asked me to tell my story and gave me hope. It changed my mind, and I started believing God was bringing me good things. I remember when Jean Pierre (a ZOE staff member) said, ‘You have to believe God loves you and will give you what you need if you trust him.’ The Giving Hope staff said that I would get a house, but I didn’t believe them because others had told me that before. Now we are grateful and happy to have this home. Before Giving Hope I thought nobody could love me, and that others were bad. Giving Hope opened my eyes – I could see people giving love. Now, I am committed to giving love, especially to orphans.”
The day she told her story, Donata gave Greg his most-prized possession from Africa, a Kinyarwandan Bible. Moved to tears, the whole team knelt beside her as she poured her heart out to God in praise and thanksgiving.
Donata has hope…not just because she has received a home and vocational training; she has hope because she has come to know the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.