Tamara, or ‘Tammy’, is the only girl in her family. She has six brothers, one older and five younger. She was born with a disability; her parents saw that she struggled to walk and as she grew she had to use a wheelchair for mobility.
Having a disability carries additional challenges, and in Zambia, the stigma that comes with having a disability is still sadly prevalent. Despite efforts by the Zambian Government to change the culture, a UN Report from 2024 said that people born with disabilities in Zambia still face discrimination and exclusion.
Tammy grew up in Sinazongwe in Southern Zambia. She went to school and her teachers quickly saw that she was a bright child. She passed her Primary education with ‘excellence’ and moved on to Secondary education in Mazabuka. Again, she did extremely well and finished school with high grades. But because of her disability, her future options were limited. She was not able to find work and continued living at home.
Two years later, Tammy met Hammes Kanondo, Feed The Hungry’s project lead in Mazabuka, Zambia. Hammes runs the Lukkomano Christian Academy, where today, over 400 children from disadvantaged families come to receive an education and a regular hot meal.
Tammy shared with Gwyn and Hammes her desire to do further education and the challenges she faced. Feed The Hungry provided the funds to set up a small corner shop in her community, which allowed Tammy to be able to support herself. Hammes started regularly praying with her.
On one of the team’s visits to Mazabuka, Tammy expressed that her desire to go to College hadn’t faded – she just needed the support to be able to get there. Tammy’s heart was set on going to medical college, and so, believing and praying for the impossible, we arranged for an interview at the Royal Medical College of Zambia. By God’s grace, she was accepted and enrolled on a Pharmacy Technician Course.
Funds were made available to be able to support Tammy in further education in 2021. This was a three year course, and Tammy was the only person with a physical disability in her line of studies.
Tammy excelled in studying Pharmacy. In October 2024, she graduated from University; her graduation day was attended by Feed The Hungry UK’s Executive Director, Gwyn Williams.
Gwyn shared, “We are so grateful for the opportunity of supporting Tammy through the last few years in College and I am honoured to be there at her graduation in Lusaka. We are also elated that she has been appointed as a Pharmacy technician in Ndola Hospital in Zambia.”
For someone like Tammy, especially as one living with a disability, these sorts of opportunities are rare, but for her, it has been life transforming. Because of your support, Tammy has journeyed from survival to significance, but this is just the beginning for her.
Help young people like Tammy know that they are significant.
