Betty
Isaac Whitney
In Passing , Julie Joo ' 19
If your identity was in your name , what would you be called ? How would people address you if they could see into your past , present , and future ? Would your name exemplify virtue , wealth , and happiness , or pain and destruction ? Imagine your name being Problems or Tears . Such are the all too common translations of names given to poverty-stricken children in the slums of Lusaka , Zambia . Unlike in popular Western culture , where names are relatively insignificant , Zambians often choose names based on the destinies they foresee for their children . Some children are given the name “ Lackson ,” for seemingly being destined for a life of lacking . Those on a path toward sickness and death are given the name “ Ishtumbe ,” which translates to “ graveyard .”
Betty was one of these children . Though her name seems harmless , Betty was named after a witchdoctor — her grandmother — and expected to continue the trade when she became of age . Much like her name , Betty ’ s life was full of darkness . At only age ten , Betty had lived through a nightmare most of us could never dream of . She ’ d watched her mother die at the hands of her father . She was physically abused regularly . She survived only on scraps from the floor , or food she stole from local markets . She moved from house to house in her slum compound , only to be repeatedly driven out like a dog . This story is not an uncommon one for children in the slums of Lusaka , and it seemed as if Betty would live out the life of darkness her name predicted .
But God had a different plan . In 2012 , Betty attended Family Legacy ’ s Camp Life , a week long Christian camp that connects American ambassadors with orphans like Betty from Lusaka ’ s compounds . At this camp , for the first time , Betty felt loved . She was shown the grace and mercy of her Savior . She was singing , dancing , and praising God . Upon learning her story and the meaning behind her name , Betty ’ s group leaders decided to give her a new one — a name that did not depict darkness and misery , but rather one that depicted her new steadfast trust in Christ : Faith .
22 Spring 2017