Margaret is a 17-year-old South Sudanese child mother. She and her grandmother fled to Imvepi Refugee Settlement in northern Uganda to escape war in South Sudan. Her mother is deceased, and her father abandoned her years ago. Margaret’s grandmother struggled with alcoholism and would get violent with her when drinking. Desperate to improve her situation, Margaret turned to a man who promised to help her. Instead, he sexually exploited her and left when she became pregnant with his child, Innocent. Margaret wanted to end her life. She even attempted suicide three times. But with help from local officials, she came to ChildVoice in April 2021. She now feels safe and says that her life has already changed a lot.
Sarah suffered ongoing domestic abuse in her home in Uganda. She was once beaten so badly that she was hospitalized and unable to use her hands for several days. With no money for school or even clothes, at the age of 15 she began living with a man who promised to help her. After Sarah became pregnant, he left her with his grandmother, who also abused her. She began to contemplate suicide. But after a church group visited her, she began to have hope. Soon after, she learned about ChildVoice and became a student. Now Sarah is studying hard in her classes, and she hopes to become a hairdresser after graduating. “I thank God that I became a ChildVoice student,” says Sarah. “I’m looking forward to a good future and wish God’s blessings for the ChildVoice staff.”
Fatima escaped from the hell of a violent forced marriage in December 2021. At the age of 14, she was abducted from her village in Borno, Nigeria by Boko Haram during a raid. Taken by one of the militants as a “bride,” she endured an unending cycle of mental and physical abuse at his hands. After five years of suffering, she finally had enough and ran. Sadly, due to social stigma, Fatima’s family has yet to accept her back. But she believes that ChildVoice classes and counseling sessions in Nigeria’s Malkohi IDP camp will help her heal. “I’m really happy I’m with ChildVoice,” she says.
The violently displaced and exploited Nigerian, Ugandan, South Sudanese, and Congolese youth ChildVoice serves need your investment as much as ever. They need spiritual renewal. They need psychosocial counseling. They need skills training so that they can get good jobs. With the heartfelt help of caring people like you, traumatized adolescent girls like Margaret, Sarah, and Fatima will get these vital services. Show them they aren’t alone! Please consider donating today.