Zebo was a single mother with 3 young children when she first came to Caring Heart. She had told her husband to leave because of his drinking, smoking, and his inability to be a responsible husband and father. However, she continued her relationship with her in-laws as they were very fond of her. Zebo had a challenging life growing up – her father was a wealthy businessman from Tajikistan, and married her mother in Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, her father took her older brother and left Kazakhstan, without informing her mother that he had sold all the property they owned. Her mother and her only discovered that they were homeless when they went to their different properties and were informed that it no longer belonged to them. All they could do was take a few bags of their clothing from storage and lived with relatives and people who would take them in. During this time Zebo had to be independent and develop a strong character. After she started her own family, Zebo found work caring for the father of one of our social workers, Akmaral. She was an excellent worker, and Akmaral recommended her to Caring Heart for the position of a cleaner in our early days. Indeed, she worked with a wonderful attitude, took ownership of her assigned work and went beyond her responsibilities to address anything in the house that needed to be taken care of.
Zebo has 3 daughters, a son. Her oldest daughter was born with a congenital heart defect, but at that point, her husband had opposed correcting it, preferring to leave his child to die. Zebo fought for her child to receive the surgery, as it was the only chance at prolonging the life of her daughter. Simbat had her surgery and is now an active young girl, but still experiences some issues with her heart every now and then. After one of her other daughters fell at school an x-ray was taken of the arm which Beth noticed an unusual growth and alerted Victoria who was in the US at the time. After numerous medical consultations, a biopsy was done on the tumor, although benign, it was damaging her nerves and surgery was needed. After many meetings and phone calls, a children’s hospital in Philadelphia agreed to take her case. By this time, her husband had gotten himself together and returned to the family, but was not supportive of having surgery in the US. Zebo convinced him that it had to be done, and he reluctantly agreed.
Zebo has a warm connection with Victoria, addressing her as her “mum,” talks to her about personal matters, and seeks Victoria’s advice in major decisions. Her own life experience has made her a very strong person and she’s been able to just keep doing life with a good attitude and without giving up easily. God has blessed her with grace to overcome numerous challenging situations, and she is constantly thinking about how to provide for her children’s needs and more.
Zebo is currently doing a part time nursing course at the university, which is possible because she is able to leave her children at Caring Heart when she needs to leave early for her lessons. She was motivated to pursue a degree as she doesn’t have any higher qualifications, and had thought about a future if Caring Heart is no longer around, and how to provide for herself and her family. In all that she does, she demonstrates that she genuinely wants the best for her children, and teaches them about living a responsible life. Through her relationship with Caring Heart, she knows that she can get help, but she doesn’t take advantage of this relationship. She is one of the few staff members who, after finding out about conflicts and challenges that happen at Caring Heart, will check on Victoria if she is fine and if she needs any help.
Zebo is the house manager for Caring Heart. She is a good worker, teacher and offers encouragement to those who work with her. Her position gives her many chances to chat with our staff, and to be a mentor encouraging them to stretch their abilities in all that they do. She is also a good role model for those who work with her.
