Apeya is an 18-year-old South Sudanese mother. She was 11 years old when rebels came to her family’s home and brutally killed her father. Along with her mother and siblings, she fled to Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Her five-day trek on foot through incredibly dangerous wartime conditions was just the beginning of a journey of loss, heartbreak and despair.
But Apeya’s story is also one of renewed hope and a brighter future. It’s a story that you can help other girls just like her transform into a reality.
“I decided to buy my own machine to make school uniforms for sale and am now making good money. My siblings are back to school because I can afford their tuition and uniforms.” -Apeya
After her father was killed in 2017 amid ongoing conflict, Apeya fled to Uganda with her mother, siblings, and neighbors. Apeya witnessed more violence and death during the dangerous journey. Once in Uganda, her troubles persisted. Apeya’s mother died in 2020. Now orphaned, Apeya had little choice but to drop out of school at the age of 14 to take care of her siblings. Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic made feeding her siblings all but impossible, Apeya fell victim to a man who promised to help her – only to abandon her later when she became pregnant.
When she came to ChildVoice, Apeya began to see hope for a better future and started receiving desperately needed counseling and vocational skills training. Today she is a skilled tailor and runs a successful business making school uniforms! She earns enough money to care for her family and even pay for her siblings’ education.
Apeya’s story exemplifies the transformative impact of our programs in Uganda. We’re working hard to bring the same level of care to young war victims in Nigeria. Young people like Faith.
“I dreamed of becoming a tailor. ChildVoice has helped me achieve my dream!” - Faith
Faith is an unassuming 13-year-old Nigerian teen. The youngest of ten children, she was just 3 years old when Boko Haram terrorists attacked her village of Madanya, Mubi in 2014. Her family was forced to flee the violence engulfing her community and take refuge in Cameroon. They later returned to Mubi to assess what they could do to rebuild their lives, only to find their home had been ransacked and all their food stolen. Life has been a struggle for her family since then.
Faith had little hope for a pathway out of poverty. But then she was referred to ChildVoice and joined our brand-new tailoring apprenticeship program. She quickly began to envision a better future for herself. Faith now sees completing the tailoring apprenticeship as a means to support her family and earn money to further her education. Like Apeya, she plans to open her own tailoring shop.
Young people like Apeya and Faith deserve the opportunity to heal from wartime trauma and build the skills they need to transform their lives. We encourage to help support their new journeys. Journeys toward recovered health, restored hope, and a brighter future.