Moonlight Stars
A project by RHU

I was born in a district north of Kampala where I lived with my mother, my uncle, two brothers and three sisters.  We were poor back then. My mother was a farmer but even getting food was very hard. I went to school until I was about 11 and I had to stop. When I was 13 I met a man, he was 28, and he got me pregnant. I began living with him but he was abusive in several different ways. I decided to take charge of my life and when an opportunity came for me to work in Kampala, I left.

 

I had to leave my son behind with his grandmother when I went to Kampala, which was very hard for me, but I knew I was making the smartest choice. The move to Kampala was difficult, I was working for a woman who was very harsh, she would come home and berate me, and she would say that I was eating her food or sleeping in her chairs. She would yell at me to go back where I came from.

 

When this situation proved to be too challenging, I moved into the only place I could find. I met a group of girls who were sex workers and heavy drinkers, they took me in but they expected me to begin working alongside them. I was still young, not even 20, and I was scared of starting this work. The other girls wouldn’t let up and finally I understood that I didn’t have a choice.

 

I never wanted to be a moonlight star and after two years I found employment as a maid. But the woman of the house would travel for work and while she was gone her husband would rape me. Once again, I was afraid for my life and I had to make the difficult choice of leaving before it was too late. I ended up back on the street. Shortly after, a burst condom gave me my second child, who is now six years old. Unfortunately, I do not know where his father is.

 

I have so many expenses right now, I’m alone with two kids, but RHU taught me about saving and managing money, so that has been very helpful. RHU also taught me how to stay safe, we come here and get condoms for free, they taught us how to use them, and thank god I am still HIV negative. RHU changed me in many ways.  I used to drink a lot and use drugs, but counseling at RHU convinced me to stop.

 

The big dream I have for my life is that I will get a piece of land that I can build a house on. I want to become a farmer and to stop being a Moonlight Star.  I also dream of seeing my two boys get an education so that they can have a bright future ahead of them.