Chipo Paguwa-Muzanenhamo's Story

Breaking the Cycle: From Abandonment to Unconditional Love

My story began with loss. My mother passed away when I was five, and my father left immediately after. I have no memories, no pictures—just a void. I was raised by my grandparents and an uncle, separated from my siblings, and never felt a true family connection. This deep-seated sense of abandonment created a painful cycle. I found myself constantly shouting at my own three-year-old son. The Holy Spirit would gently convict me, whispering, "You were yelling at a 3-year-old," but I felt trapped by a pain I didn't know how to heal.

My journey with ROOTS Discipleship became the turning point. The lesson on loving others was a revelation. I remember Mai Shereni teaching that "forgiveness is a gift of grace," and it hit me: the hatred I carried for my father was the very reason I was bursting out at my son.

In the safe and vulnerable space of my cell group, I finally confronted this pain. During a powerful session on love, I shared my story of resentment. We dug deep, we cried together, and we prayed for God to deliver us from our bitterness. It was a catalytic moment of healing.

That healing changed everything. I even met my biological father, and while he wasn't the humble, apologetic man I had hoped for, the encounter didn't break me. ROOTS had already given me the tools to release my expectations.

The greatest testimony of my transformation is my son. Now, when he prays, he says, "I thank you, God, for my mom... I thank you that she's kind to me." For my three-year-old to understand and affirm that I am now kind to him is the greatest reward. The cycle of abandonment and anger has been broken.

ROOTS was more than a program; it was the catalyst that freed me from my past and empowered me to become the loving mother I was always meant to be.