Evans Simbule was born in 1945 and married Felidah Nakamba Simbule in 1958. The couple was blessed with five children – two girls and three boys. Over the years, the Simbules lost three children (one female and two males) leaving behind only the two surviving children. The deceased children left behind orphans that were cared for by the Simbules and other relatives that were able to provide for the orphans. The Simbules took in Mwaka Nambule (a girl of 13 in her 6th grade) and Memory Nambule (a girl aged nine in her 3rd grade).

After this development, the couple moved to Kawama in 1978 where they bought a piece of land. At the time, Evans had already retired from his formal employment as a tailor but had continued with his trade while his wife brewed the local beer. The activities practiced by the couple to earn a living did not prove prosperous and their businesses crumbled. This was the beginning of their problems. Thereafter, the family resorted to farming on a small scale, but the yield was affected by the lack of fertilizer.
Their oldest son contributed to their welfare by giving them a 100,000 thousand kwacha monthly and Mrs. Simbule started selling charcoal. Another source of income came from their avocado tree that produced fruits that were sold at the market. Due to lack of finances, Mwaka dropped out of school and the grandparents spent sleepless nights thinking their granddaughter would have had a better education if her mother had been alive.

Providing three meals a day became a challenge. The house was also in a bad condition. During the rainy season, the roof leaked and the walls had cracks to a point where they shook on windy days. The door also did not serve its purpose of security. The family spent sleepless nights waiting for the day or night their house would finally come down on them.

The day Habitat for Humanity Zambia identified the family as a beneficiary, the Simbules could not believe it. All they said was that “God was indeed faithful”.
Evans has this to say: “I sleep without many worries at night because I know the girls are safe. I am also ready for the rains as we will be spending peaceful nights. Though we may have other problems, our lives have changed due to this decent house. My house is filled with joy that I have not experienced in a long time. We thank God HFHZ found us.”

Felidah says she never imagined that she would live in such a beautiful house in her life.