LIFE’s 2026 Hope for Children Project Will Make More Stories Like Lungisani’s Possible
- Mar 13, 2026
- By the LIFE Team
One day, Lungisani became thirsty while herding cattle in his village in Zimbabwe and went to the river for a drink. Suddenly, a crocodile attacked him.
After moments that felt like hours, Lungisani’s quick thinking saved his life. He managed to grab the roots of a nearby tree, and finally, the crocodile released its deadly hold. He was taken to a local hospital, which provided first aid and a blood transfusion but couldn’t offer much more help.
His leg was severely broken and needed surgery. With no adequate care available, however, he returned home in excruciating pain. He was unable to attend school and faced an uncertain future. Then, he found renewed hope during a follow-up visit at the local hospital, which referred him to LIFE’s mission partners in Zimbabwe for limb reconstruction surgery.
Here, Lungisani underwent four procedures. He spent three months recovering in the long-stay ward, where he received specialized care provided at no cost to his family. This was an immense relief, as they had already exhausted their resources seeking treatment at local hospitals.
While Lungisani recovered, the spiritual ministry team also provided him and his dad, Nhlanhla, bedside counseling and shared the Bible with them as they processed the trauma of the crocodile attack.
“I could have easily lost my leg during that crocodile attack,” Lungisani told our mission partners. “Here I received a message of hope about being saved. I didn’t really understand it, but . . .
. . . after talking to the pastor and learning about Jesus’ mercy, I now understand it was Him all along.”
Lungisani and Nhlanhla made life-changing decisions to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A few months later, Lungisani’s mom did the same. He is now home, back on both feet, enjoying daily life and dreaming about what the future holds!
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