Unwanted pregnancy, a deadly abortion, if I had known!!!

My name is Aline YAMINYOBORA. I am 23 years old. I live on Buseruko hill, in Mugina commune of Cibitoke province. I was born in a modest family. My father Jérôme NSABIMANA, a 62 years old butcher and my mother Félicité HAKIZIMANA, 48, a farmer, both manage to provide for their six children: 3 girls and 3 boys and I am the fifth child of this family.

Since my young age, my mother has always advised me to study, prepare my future, pay attention to boys who could mislead me and destroy my life but I did not pay attention. At the age of 15, I was in 6^th grade and I passed the national test but could not get the grade required to go to high school. I had to leave my commune to study in a private craft school and I took the sewing option. The school was located in another neighboring commune of Rugombo where I had to walk one hour in the morning and evening. There are lots of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles on Mugina and Rugombo road. People I didn’t know could stop to give me and my classmates a free ride. A bus driver was interested in me. He could take me to school or give me money to take a motorcycle every time he did not take the direction leading to my school in Rugombo. Upon leaving school, he was waiting for me to take me close to my home and this happened from 7^th grade until 9^th grade. 

My mother's advice went in one ear and out the other, to say it had no effect on me. I do not know if I can say that I fell in love with the bus driver; but he blinded me with little gifts, strolls, bars, and trained me to sleep with him once, twice, three times and X times until I became pregnant.

In this picture, Aline is with her trainer on the modern couture sought by her clients. It is a trainer she has sought herself for to be competitive on the market.

It was an ordeal that began: Telling my parents especially my mother that I was pregnant, school dropout, problem in the family, disappointment of my sisters and brothers especially my brother Salez who was always giving me pieces of advice like my mother, the hearsay in the community, shame,... Grief invaded me and to make matters worse, the driver who impregnated me denied responsibility. It was total confusion.

At the age of 17, I gave birth to a girl by cesarean section and stayed in hospital for a long time with my mother with tears in her eyes. When I left the hospital, I joined my family and my child became a burden for them.

I could not get soap of BIF 200 to wash the clothes of my baby girl, not even her ointment. Days went by and I regained strength. Men saw me as a vulnerable girl who could sell herself at any price.

The father of my child agreed to help me on condition of sex and I had no other choice but to accept.
On the 2nd birthday of my child, I got a small job with ETRAC Company which was building a dam to water the rice.

I started working at 7 a.m. to return at 3 p.m. with a salary of BIF 2000 per day. If I worked overtime until 5 p.m., I could receive BIF 2500 per day. That is to say that I had 55,000 FBU at the end of the month. It was a fortune for me because it was my first income from my own effort. However, my mother was still worried. She never stopped repeating to me that “I should not come back in my family if ever I were pregnant again."

No sooner said than done. I was pregnant this time with a father of another family who was the same age as my father. Thinking of my mother's advice made me want to commit suicide but I lacked courage and decided to have an abortion in a rural area for BIF 40,000. I became sickly, trying to pretend to be well, but with the aftermath of the abortion, I finally went to the hospital and the bill was BIF 60,000. It was another blow for the family.

My brother Salez who was a mentor in the Joint Program project told me about the benefits of participating in a training workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Health among young people and adolescents: the consequences of unsafe sex, sexually transmitted diseases, decision-making about their sexual health, unwanted pregnancies, the consequences of abortion, early marriages etc.

I joined the VSLA solidarity group where I benefited from daily life skills training: Sexual and Reproductive Health and behavior change.

In 2017, I made the decision to go and see what is going on in the “Amis des Jeunes” health center on Buseruko hill. My first day in the workshop was a torture. I thought Mom had given them orders. They talked about me, my behavior, pregnancy, abortion, refusal of advice, community etc. ...; I wanted to run out of the room as I was feeling ashamed.

My brother, Salez stared at me with a look of compassion and forced me to stay. When the workshop was over, discussions continued between young people and I felt that I was gradually lightening the burden, regretting my past actions. I resolved to put an end to my old behavior and opt for change.

In the picture, Aline is in her workshop applying the instructions of her trainer. In addition, she already exhibits some models that she has sewn herself.

After 3 training's, I was elected to be part of the coaches. I had to teach back what I learned about Sexual and Reproduction Health. The issue that kept circulating in my little head was how to stand before young people who knew me. What was I going to tell them? To avoid unwanted pregnancies? Not to abort? To behave responsibly about sexuality? I was totally confused but I took it. It was a new beginning for me. I decided to come out of my shell and try to earn money in a dignified and honest way. I opted for change. As a trainer on Sexual and Reproductive Health, I taught them from experience!

Being a member of a savings and credit group, I successfully applied for a BIF 10,000 loan which allowed me to do a small business: selling tomato and lengalenga (amaranth). I could buy 5 baskets of tomato at BIF 40,000 and I could sell them in another neighboring commune at BIF 120,000. Five months after the expiration of the credit, I applied for another BIF 100,000 loan and my business flourished with a capital of 400,000 FBU in less than six months.

With a head with clear ideas, I remembered that I had attended a sewing school and decided to buy a BUTTERFLY sewing machine with accessories for a total of BIF 270,000. I limited myself to only making old clothes for the women and girls of my hill. I had forgotten about sewing.

Mr Gilbert Ndikumana, member of the savings and loans group and professional tailor, agreed to teach me to sew in a thorough way by paying 200,000 FBU with half of it as advance. I paid it thanks to the income from the sale of my tomatoes, vegetables and the clothes I was making.

In this picture, Aline is with me. She asked me to take a picture with her as a memory. She is very happy to see a CARE staff other than the ones she used to see. As the HR Manager, it's rare to see me on the field. She is very proud to tell her story.

The sewing sessions took 4 months. I am able to make clothes for women, girls in a "workshop" where I work with my "personal sewing teacher." My clients, young people, have become my friends. While they wait for me to give them clothes, I talk to them about VSLA, sexual and reproductive health, I invite them to join the VSLA. I am their transformation model.

For the community, I am an image of change and they send their children to listen to my story. For the people who have contributed to my sordid past, I tell them that I am no longer the one they used to know. I rather challenge them with my weapon: the teachings on Sexual and Reproductive Health and VSLA for the future of their children and families.

For the family, I regained their confidence and I contribute to the improvement of their living conditions and my daughter, aged 6 years and 4 months now, has begun her first year of primary school.

On August 31, 2018, I had a capital of BIF 1,327,000 and on August 31, 2019, I plan to have 2 machines: one Cornelli type and another one of Baby Rock brand. I will have bought a plot of land in which I will build my house with a workshop and a youth outreach office.

With the Joint Program and the VSLA, I became aware of who I was, I know who I am and I am confident of my future.

Long live Sexual and Reproductive Health for all !!!!!!!!!!!