Talitha Cumi is rescuing and empowering young girls in rural Zimbabwe

By Lee Forland | Zimbabwe in Southern Africa

Mark: 5:39 & 41 (NIV)
39: He (Jesus) went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”  41: He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 

In 2011, Violet Myambo,  a teacher at a Zimbabwe mission high school, was approached by two young sisters, Sharon (14) and Claris (11)who asked if there were any small jobs they could do in exchange for food.

Violet decided to help them, unaware of the long, life-saving journey she had just begun.

Sharon and Claris had lost their father, and their mother was unable to work, leaving them without a reliable caregiver - a situation faced by many families in similar circumstance.  They were living with two other girls in a home they were responsible for while the homeowners worked elsewhere.

There are a host of environmental, political, and cultural factors that contribute to the challenging circumstances faced by many young girls in Zimbabwe, including  physical beatings, sexual abuse, and hunger.  In a society where young girls are primarily expected to marry and resources are scarce, poorer young, disadvantaged girls  are particularly vulnerable.

Violet chose to befriend Sharon and Claris, and their friendship grew.  She and her husband gave them soap, food, books and money for school fees.  After hearing their story, Violet’s friends donated additional funds to ensure Sharon and Claris could continue their education.

Encouraged by her husband and friends, Violet joined SIM and founded the ministry Talitha Cumi, now a SIM ministry that offers advocacy and resources to support orphaned and vulnerable girls in Zimbabwe.  The name Talitha Cumi, inspired by Mark 5:41, means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”  

December holidays at Talitha Cumi

Violet said at that time, “It was clear to me that the Lord was calling me to minister to the girls. I did not know where to start, but I knew I needed to start in a small way.”

Talitha Cumi teaches the girls the word of God to help them discover their value in Christ.  It also supports them in staying in school, and developing vocational and life skills that promote good life choices.  Today, 25 young girls are currently receiving support from Talitha Cumi: 7 girls are receiving their tertiary education, 15 are in high school, and 3 are in primary school.  Talitha Cumi also teaches business skills to widows with young daughters ,enabling them to better care for their girls. 

Regarding Talitha Cumi, Violet says, “I desire that these girls may know Christ and His power to change their lives.”  

Sharon and Claris’ story is a happy one.  After receiving support from Talitha Cumi, Sharon completed her Honors degree in Accounting and now works at Wattle Company Limited as an assistant internal auditor.  Claris is in her final year, pursuing a degree in Human Resource Management.

However, there are many more girls still in need of help.  Rosemary, Vimbai, and Brunette, three young girls, were kidnapped and abused by a man pretending to be a businessman, who offered them shopkeeper jobs. Luckily, Rosemary escaped and got help from Talitha Cumi. There she learned how to cut and design clothes. Vimbai and Brunette also escaped later. Vimbai started a vegetable business, and Brunette found a new and better job.

Today, Violet and Talitha Cumi continue to be strong advocates for young girls like them.  Violet takes care of girls who are in a bad situation and have nowhere else to go. She uses whatever she has, like food, blankets, and donated clothes, to help them. These girls have become like family to Violet. Talitha Cumi needs more resources to look after the girls it supports.

Violet says, “I grew up in rural Zimbabwe, and with this start in life, I am like a soldier who was very fortunate to have escaped from a fierce battle uninjured, but I have many stories to tell of what had happened to the others. What this soldier says may sound like a report, but it is intended to be a call for a backup team armed with better strategies to continue fighting this battle so that those who have been hurt or are at risk of being hurt, may be rescued.”      

Prayer Requests

•    Pray that God will continue to encourage and protect the girls supported by the Talitha Cumi ministry that they may mature and become the young women God created them to be
•    Pray that the Talitha Cumi ministry will receive the support needed to continue rescuing young girls from vulnerable situations
•    Pray for greater awareness of the plight of the young, African girl child, and that society responds by becoming better at protecting young girls in need

How can you support Talitha Cumi?

Talitha Cumi needs your help to raise funds, and support more young girls, expanding their impact in the community.  Donations of any kind will be appreciated.  Here are specific things your gift can help with, so these girls can keep learning:
•    A gift of $25 will allow a girl to attend school through the purchase of a school uniform (skirt, shirt, and a pair of socks) and provide personal hygiene items.

•    A gift of $50 will pay for a girl’s education for one term at a primary school.  $150 will pay for a full year of primary school (3 terms).

•    A gift of $100 will pay for a girl’s education for one term at a high school.  $300 will pay for a full year of high school (3 terms).

•    A gift of $616 will pay for a girl’s education for one semester at a university.  $1232 will pay for a full year at a university (2 semesters).

If you would like to donate to support the Talitha Cumi ministry in Zimbabwe, please use the following:
Project Name:  Talitha Cumi
Project Number:  96397
For online giving, please use the following URL per country:
USA: https://simusa.org/give
CAN: https://donations.sim.ca/projects
UK: https://sim.co.uk/support/donate
AUS: https://sim.org.au/donate/project
NZ: https://sim.org.nz/give
SIN: https://simsg.org/invest
Or contact your closest SIM office.