Listen hard enough and Monica Mvula's hands have stories to tell. Her firm grip speaks of the immense strength she's gained from years of wielding a hammer. Her calloused fingers beg for a little relief from the relentless labor they bear. And her dusty palms divulge the vast number of stones they've carried. Eight hours a day, Monica crushes rock into gravel to sell for construction work. She hopes to earn enough so she and her seven children can eat food that will sustain them and give her the strength to work again the next day. When she's not breaking stones, she washes laundry to earn extra money. She struggles every day here in Lusaka, Zambia. Still, her labor is not enough. It never is. Sometimes the children go to bed on an empty stomach, or they just eat porridge. "It is difficult for one to believe, but I can assure you that it happens most of the time and am sure it will continue for some time to come," Monica explained. "For younger children like Ronica, they cry and cry."

Living Without Sponsored children Shadreck, 10, and Ronica, 3, stand barefoot in their dusty community in Lusaka. Shadreck crosses one foot over the other, perhaps embarrassed by his dirty feet. Neither one has shoes, and Shadreck is the only school-aged child in the family who attends school. Without sponsorship support for the others, Monica can't afford to send them. Even Shadreck is well aware of the many necessities he and his family lack. "I would like…a house and…shoes and a ball so that I can play football with my friends," he exclaimed. Monica supports her husband - who is too old to take on steady work - and seven children. Their rented one-room house doesn't have a bed or even a mattress, so they sleep on the floor (two of the older children live in another house but are still supported by Monica). "I really don't know how they sleep," Christopher Kakunta, our communication coordinator in Lusaka, writes after visiting their stark home and seeing their sleeping conditions.

Chipping Away Chip, clang, chip, clang. The metallic sound of a hammer hitting a stone pierces the air as Monica methodically chisels away at a rock. She spends about two to three hours breaking up a medium-sized stone which weighs between 11 and 22 pounds, and manages to sell one or two heaps of small gravel a week for about US$2.50 each. "[Buyers] want to buy at a lower price than what we offer," Monica said. "They do not even have mercy on us." For 22 years, Monica has broken stones into pieces. Sadly, she has little progress to show for her hard work. Instead, the dust she inhales has left her with chest pains and coughing fits. Sadder still, Monica's struggle to earn a decent wage isn't unusual, because she lives in an area in Zambia where there are few industries and service organizations to absorb her into reasonable employment. Zambia's unemployment rate is estimated at 50 percent, according to The World Factbook. Monica wishes all her children could pursue an education. But without additional assistance, it seems unlikely all her children will attend school. In the meantime, Monica will continue chipping away at stones in hopes her hard work will help her children get ahead. Sponsorship is already giving Shadreck and Ronica lives filled with more opportunities. One day, perhaps they can take care of Monica, and then she can enjoy a little relief from a lifetime of struggle.

Editor's Note: We recently learned that Monica was diagnosed with tuberculosis. While she is receiving treatment at a government clinic, she isn't able to crush stones for about 8 months. In the meantime, she continues washing clothes, and one of her sons has started working to earn a little money. A donor has provided funding so Monica can start a small business.

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