“I used to depend on my small piece of land for food, but last season, we harvested nothing. There was literally nothing to eat.”

Mercy Mumeka

At just 26 years old, Mercy Mumeka carries a weight that few her age could imagine. A mother of four (three girls and a boy) in Gwembe, Southern Part of Zambia, Mercy was left to fend for her young family after her husband abandoned them and remarried elsewhere. With no formal employment, she relied on subsistence farming to survive. But when the El Niño-induced drought struck her community in Zambia, everything changed. 

“I used to depend on my small piece of land for food,” Mercy says, “But last season, we harvested nothing. There was literally nothing to eat.” 

With no crops and no stable income, Mercy began taking on piece work (informal jobs) to make ends meet. But such work was hard to find and rarely enough. 

It was during this time of deep uncertainty that Mercy became a beneficiary of the “Integrated Emergency Response for El Niño Drought-Affected Communities in Zambia” project. The initiative, led by Oxfam in Zambia in parentship with Keeper Zambia Foundation with support from Oxfam Canada and funding from Global Affairs Canada, provides life-saving support to vulnerable families affected by climate-induced shocks. 

Mercy received cash assistance under the project amounting to a total of K1,800. Instead of using it all for immediate consumption, she made a bold decision and started a business. 

“I used the money to order fish from Chipepo to sell in my village. It wasn’t easy at first, but I told myself I had to try something that would last longer than one meal,” she says with a faint smile. 

Since starting the fish business, Mercy has not only been able to put food on the table but has also managed to buy school supplies for her children. Her home is still modest, but the energy in it has shifted from survival to possibility. 

“My children now go to school with shoes and books. That alone gives me strength,” she says. 

Looking ahead, Mercy has even bigger dreams. She plans to expand her business and open a small fish outlet in her community. 

Mercy’s story is not just about survival; it is a powerful testament to what women can achieve when given the right kind of support. With resilience, courage, and a small push from humanitarian aid, Mercy is turning the tide for her family, and perhaps one day, for her whole community.