Our Story
History
Mercy House was born out of reflection and compassion on the plight of Zambian women who are eager to grow in the Lord, desire to transform their lives and that of their families but often have limited resources and skills.
As co-founder of Northrise University, Mrs. Zimba has had the privilege
of ministering to women of Ndola through a Bible Study she leads that began
in 2005. The history of Mercy House (MH) dates back to 2007 when the founder, Mrs. Doreen Zimba, and her ministry friends based in the US, began to interact more personally with the women of Ndola. They have led and mentored many women of Ndola through a biennial Women’s conference hosted under a community impact program of Northrise University called Impact Ndola.
Naturally, women are relational and tend to share their deepest needs with one another. Through the interactions with the Conference attendees and the women of the Bible Study group, other needs besides growing in the Lord were discovered. Women expressed physical, emotional, and financial needs that they and others continue to experience.
Through discussions, prayers, and thoughts, God put a desire in Mrs. Zimba’s heart and her friends to intentionally minister to Ndola women in more specific ways. With this desire came a dream to start empowering women. Initially, the Lord provided some funds for women to begin micro-businesses. Some women have been raising chickens, making peanut butter, buying and selling secondhand clothes, selling rice, growing crops for sale, and so on.
In the process of starting micro-businesses, it was discovered that the majority of the women were not equipped with adequate skills to grow businesses. After much reflection and prayer, the vision of Mercy House was born. A place where women would come to be discipled in their walk with the Lord as well as empowered to become “micro-entrepreneurs” to enable them to meet their needs, those of their families, their communities, and beyond.
Founder's Corner
Doreen M. Zimba
Mrs. Doreen Zimba is a Zambian Christian leader who has dedicated her life to serving and teaching women for the last 16 years. She began her women's ministry in 2004 alongside her leadership role at Northrise University, a university that she co-founded with her husband, Dr. Moffat Zimba. Along the journey of starting a university, Mrs. Zimba found her passion for women as she saw how much Zambian women were eager to serve God but often lacked a place of spiritual growth through in-depth study of the Word of God and fellowship. She believes that one of the key ingredients of effective ministry and impact in our communities is a dedication to study God’s word, which results in a transformed mind, heart, and soul. She served at NU as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for 18 years, sits on several advisory boards, leads an interdenominational women's Bible Study group, enjoys engaging women one on one, spending time with family and friends, cooking, and reading. She has a special liking for flowers and appreciation of space, as to her, both reveal the grandeur of God’s ingenuity.