Hope after Violence - A Success Story

CARE International in Uganda, with funding from ECHO (European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid) completed a Gender Based Violence (GBV) Response and Prevention project in Rhino Camp and Imvepi refugee settlements and host communities, following the influx of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. CARE supports survivors of Gender Based Violence through psycho-social counseling, and referral to other service points so as to restore dignity and hope for vulnerable women and girls. CARE’s GBV Response helps survivors utilize medical, police and legal resources to ensure their recovery as well as ensuring that perpetrators of GBV are brought to justice. This is a story about CARE’s GBV Response.

Nancy* is 29 years old with two children. She fled South Sudan in June 2017 with scant hope of seeing her children and mother, who had travelled to Uganda four months earlier.  Since the father of her children died in the war battle, it was not easy for the single mother to improvise and meet basic needs of the children, so her mother took them to refuge. The journey to the Ugandan border for Nancy was not easy. It was full of suffering, starving, witnessing brutal killing and sexual harassment by gunmen.

Nancy spent three weeks at the border while undergoing the process of verification.There, she met a man who claimed to be in a similar marital situation, and they decided to register as a household. They arrived at Imvepi Settlement in June 2017 registered as a married couple.  Nancy says “I lived with him for six months before his real character showed up. He denied me the opportunity to live together with my children since he was not their biological father. He didn’t like that I would take part of our food rations and share with my mother who was taking care of my children in Rhino Refugee settlement.”

Unfortunately the man was also an alcoholic. He sold food rations to buy alcohol and did not allow Nancy to ask about the money. He would rudely demand sex even when she didn’t want to and commit marital rape. As a result of psychological torture, Nancy also started drinking to cope with the stress.

One night, he returned drunk and demanded for a labour form which he had misplaced at his drinking joint. He started beating Nancy in search of the form. Nancy narrates “I was boxed, and beaten with a stick around my knees, and ribs. He strangled me, saying he will kill me. The following morning he locked me in the house the whole day with pain and returned late in the night. On opening the door he continued with the beating and later demanded sex, but I could not. He said ‘You must be having an affair with someone else, why deny me sex!’ He tied my mouth with a piece of cloth so neighbors should not hear my cry for help. At one point, I was able to remove the cloth off my mouth and cried out in pain, ‘He is killing me!’ My neighbors came to rescue me, but the door was locked, so they banged it hard. He opened the door with anger and chased my neighbors with a knife and a stick. This gave me a chance to escape to the bush naked where I spent the night.  When he returned and saw I had escaped, he set all my clothes ablaze.”

As dawn approached, one of the neighbors fetching water heard Nancy whisper to her for help. The neighbor brought her some clothes, and reported to the Refugee Welfare Counsel representative, who called the police and ambulance. Nancy’s husband was arrested by police and she was rushed to Imvepi Health Center II where she spent five days. She was put on IV fluids and could hardly sleep because of the pain. She could not take a bath or go to the washroom.

One morning, a psycho-social specialist from CARE visited Nancy at the health center with a police officer. She told them what happened. The CARE specialist provided materials, financial support over UGX 100,000, and psycho-social support until she was discharged.

CARE staff assisted with her referral to Arua Regional Hospital for further treatment, and also ensured she had transport to attend four court hearings for the perpetrator. With support from CARE and another INGO, Nancy chose to take her husband to court for the abuse. The supportive GBV specialist and an interpreter always accompanied her. In the end, the perpetrator was sentenced to three years in prison on 20^th February 2018. CARE also relocated her because she was worried about her security. “My husbands parents lived near us and he had friends who would threaten me. After court I feared for my life living there.”

“Tears of joy, hope and sense of belonging filled my heart when the judge had her last ruling,” said Nancy. Nancy was also supported by CARE during a verification exercise that was concluded successfully. In September 2018, Nancy with support from CARE, UNHCR and OPM, was reunited with her children and mother where she is currently staying. In CARE’s awareness sessions in her former community, the members are reminded about this story and CARE’s interventions as a way to reduce Gender Based Violence. She is now engaged in making pancakes to sell along the roadside and near food distribution point to raise her income.“I wish had sought for support before rather than resorting to drinking,” said Nancy.

Nancy says “Many women continue to stay silent when violence is perpetrated against them. I now see the need to support and encourage women to report when violence is committed against them. CARE I owe you big. God bless you.”

*Name has been changed.

Story compiled by:Sophie Akongo

CARE Uganda Psychosocial Counselor

Imvepi Sub Field Office, West Nile, Uganda

Edited by: Charles Lilley, CARE Arua Office & Brandi Murley, CARE Arua Office