She dropped out of school. She was only 14 years old and in eighth grade. She didn’t really want to drop out, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She was pregnant. That wasn’t her choice either. Her neighbor raped her. She also found out she was HIV positive.
This is Peace’s story. Her youth was so quickly stripped from her. She had to morph into a new age of adulthood, a stage where she had to be responsible for herself and for her child.
It’s tough as it is to navigate parenthood for the first time, not to mention parenthood alone as a single, teenage girl. Peace’s rapist ran away from the village in fear of imprisonment for his actions. Peace stayed at home with her mom and four siblings. They didn’t have much money. Peace’s mom went from village to village trying to find any money at all. It wasn’t uncommon for the family to go two days without eating anything because they couldn’t afford food. They were sitting in extreme poverty, and it seemed there were no breaks, no options to get out.
However, during Peace’s pregnancy, she was able to get connected to our partner Vivian, who works at Wakisa Ministries, and she helped guide Peace through her pregnancy and the transition to motherhood. Later, after the birth of her child, we were able to partner with Wakisa to provide a scholarship for Peace so she could continue her schooling without having to pay for it herself. Her pregnancy wouldn’t hold her back from an education.
Peace dreams of becoming a doctor. Her biggest dream is to build a hospital where she can give back to her community and treat other HIV patients. She wants to help people and bring them back to health, to give them a chance at the redemption she experienced through her own involvement with Wakisa. Her dream is closer to reality because of the scholarship she received, which allows her to go to school. We talked to Vivian about Peace and her story, and she provided this quote directly from Peace:
“My mother was not able to take us to school but now I am in school. I am happy because I am reaching my destiny. Education is giving me so much hope. I am hopeful now.”
Peace has been able to take one step closer to her dreams through the provision of the scholarship. While many aspects of her life aren’t perfect, she’s still one step closer. And that matters. She continues on, knowing she has a chance of reaching her end destination, thanks to the gift of a scholarship and the hope it brings.