Josephine's story

My name is Josephine. I became a single mother at 15 after I was sexually abused. But this doesn’t define my identity. 

I am 18 years old now and live in the Rubona area in Rwanda. My parents separated when I was 11, and my two brothers and I remained with my mother. As a single parent it was incredibly challenging for my mother to care for us. She had to work long hours on the farm to provide for us. Yet, she was determined to make ends meet as best as she could. 

My parents' separation deeply affected me. I avoided talking to other girls at school and in my neighbourhood. I became withdrawn - I used to love dancing and singing with my friends, but I stopped doing that because of all the stress at home. Growing up, I was incredibly close to my two brothers and looked up to them. Both serve in the army, and witnessing their dedication to duty made me realise I too wanted to serve my country. I decided to complete my studies and become a police officer. 

However, life had other plans for me. While preparing for my senior class exams, a family friend, who was much older than me, promised me a gift if I passed my exams.

One day he invited me to his house to pick a gift, but when I went there, he sexually abused me. Soon after I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t want to stop studying but raising a child is a full-time job and I eventually dropped out of school when I was 15.

With the constant demands of motherhood my hopes of returning to school faded. Yet deep down, I still held on to the dream of finishing my schooling and becoming a police officer.