My name is Chantal, and I come from Congo. When I was five years old, the rebels forced their way into my home. They killed my father and sister, and attacked my mother. She also then died. They took me to the bush and raised me to be their wife, and as I grew older, if I refused them they would say, “We killed your parents, imagine what we can do to you!” One day they put petrol on my leg and they then lit my leg on fire. Those burns are still a painful reminder today.
When I was 15 years old, I escaped. I begged a truck driver to take me to my home, but when I arrived, there were only strangers living there. Eventually I found myself in a Kenyan refugee camp and I met a man who accepted me and loved me. We had a baby boy, followed by a baby girl, and then he was resettled in America.
One day I thought I saw one of the rebels in in the camp where I was. I began having nightmares and flashbacks. So again, I fled and ended up in Uganda. I was able to secure a job as a UNHCR interpreter in the camp, and one day I was interpreting for a mental health patient. What she was saying brought back so many hard memories for me. They referred her to Tutapona, and I decided I would go and visit their office, too.
I met one of their staff, and we had many sessions together. I used to hate men, even my own son. I would beat him only for the reason that he was a boy. Since that time, I’ve changed totally. I’ve started to move on. I learned that I was going too far by taking my anger out on my son. They helped me see that I am brave. I survived. They prayed with me, and I know that I since I have trust in God that I will also be okay. I know I have a hope and a future for me and my two children. I have accepted my past and my history. Even though I can feel ashamed of what happened, by the grace of God, I have decided to move one and I thank Tutapona for that.
