Alice* found strength through hardship. When she was just 14 years old, she had to drop out of school in fear for her safety. Soon afterward, Alice was manipulated by a man she thought she could trust.
He was initially kind and asked for her hand in marriage. She agreed, unaware she was entering a devastating relationship that would take years to escape.
“IJM opened my mind to many things. I felt I was alone. They showed me that I have strength to survive even on my own. God bless IJM.”
— Alice, survivor of abuse
Alice and her new partner moved to the Arua district of Northwestern Uganda, but their happy relationship quickly turned into brutal captivity for her.
“He made it a point to lock me up in the house every time he was going to work,” she remembers. “He would only open for me when he returned. Still, I was not allowed to go out and talk to anyone.”
Alice and her partner had their first child, and his work transferred them to Gulu. When he lost his job, her partner began disappearing for weeks at a time. It was during this period that Alice was forced to deliver their second child on her own. Needing income, Alice started to work in the market, selling vegetables.
Then one day, she arrived home to find her partner had returned. An argument broke out, which soon turned violent. He badly injured Alice, leaving her with one eye swollen and missing a tooth. Moreover, he robbed her before leaving the home again.
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“I was in bad shape,” Alice says. “My partner disappeared after the incident. That is when I decided to report.”
She told the police she wanted justice and they introduced her to International Justice Mission. Through IJM, Alice received food, supplies, medical examinations and counselling for her family.
Her partner was arrested and charged with grievous harm and theft. He pled guilty and was sentenced to three months of community service. He was also ordered to repay the money he had stolen, and cover Alice’s medical bills.
“Today, he is completely out of our lives. I am taking care of the children, and they are doing well in school,” Alice shares. IJM provided her with fruit, rice, sundried cassava, and more, helping her find economic independence. Because of that help, and because people like you, Alice's business is thriving.
“IJM opened my mind to many things,” Alice states. “I felt I was alone, they showed me that I have strength to survive even on my own. God bless IJM.”
Your generous support empowers IJM to help restore survivors like Alice and work to bring their abusers to justice. In observance of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, you can help build a safer world.
Your generosity helps protect people who are vulnerable from violence and abuse.
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