Teenage girls look to bright future after being rescued from domestic servitude
Three teenage girls who were trafficked into domestic servitude have been reunited with their families and are ready to begin a new chapter in their lives.
17-year-old Mary*, and sisters Joan*,17, and Prisca*, 14 left their homes in a village in Uganda and moved to the city to live with a pastor who had offered to look after them, and provide a good education.
But when the girls arrived, they were shocked to find that they had to live in a children’s home managed by the pastor, and sleep in the same room as some other girls and boys. Instead of going to school, they were forced into domestic servitude.
After around ten months, some nearby residents who were concerned about the man’s behaviour tipped off the police, who raided the home. The girls were then taken in by Hope for Justice at one of our Lighthouses.
For two months, they were cared for by our expert staff, who provided medical and psychological support, as well as catch-up education classes, life skills sessions, and other activities as the girls began to slowly recover.
Our team worked hard to find and contact their parents, and were then able to reunite the girls with their delighted families.
Mary is eager to begin vocational training in hairdressing, an opportunity created by Hope for Justice. We also helped her family set up their own business, making and selling bushera, a traditional fermented millet drink.
Joan and Prisca will now benefit from a formal education, thanks to our support. Both girls are happy to be back at home, and the whole family is doing well.
The pastor has been arrested.
Photo credit: Bob Ditty
*Names changed to protect the identity of the survivors. Library photo taking at our Uganda program, does not show this case.
