By Parfaite Ntahuba | Project Leader
Stories
“I married a man but I suffered trauma from the first childbirth, as we saw in JOHARI's window. I have a secret that no one else knows; my husband never buys me a fabric that is used to put a baby on the back (in our culture it is very important to buy this fabric as father). He buys everything necessary for the baby but he never buys this kind of fabric. I thought it was because I had given birth to girls but also for boys it was the same case.
He has often told me that I look ugly; that he made a mistake to marry me, that I am a stupid woman, he used to enjoy disgracing me in public and he beat me. I remained calm and easily forgave him because I am a Christian.
Something that has disappointed me and left a serious wound in my heart is that he left me with 7 very young children. I endured all these things to see that he would have pity on my children. Now, I live in poverty; I have a 2 month old child, and I am unable to work to feed my children.
I thank you for thinking on vulnerable people like us, I feel peaceful in my heart and I feel that I have recharged myself in this workshop.”
“My name is Odette, I am an unhappy woman; I married a husband who had two small children who were suffering from malnutrition. I remember how I often put them on my back even when I was pregnant, but my husband’s reward was the worst. Every week he has to beat me. If you look at my body, I have a lot of scars. He doesn't give us anything to eat, I know how hunger hurts. I have a child who is now 2 years old and has not yet walked. My husband has refused that we go to a medical doctor to see what is wrong with our kid.
I do everything to attract my husband, but it's rare that we have an intimate relationship with my husband. I know He has another wife. Sometimes when he comes back home, he tells me that I'm dirty, and that he has found another beautiful woman.
All this transformed me as you indicated into the signs of a traumatized person. I became aggressive towards my children and others. Sometimes I plan to take revenge in a wrong way. One day I should commit a crime but due to this training I understood my suffering and I think that I will be able to manage my depression in a good way to finally recover from trauma”
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