Moonlight Stars
A project by RHU

 

I was born in Eastern Uganda to a large family. We were all living together until my father died when I was 8 years old and we were divided up within our extended family. I lived with my aunt and uncle, their kids and my sister and brother. I finished all of my primary and secondary schooling and moved to Kampala to continue my education. Though my aunt and uncle paid my tuition, I had to cover the rest of my expenses on my own. I struggled to pay for food and accommodation while trying to focus on my studies. Finally, a friend from campus told me about her work as a moonlight star and I decided to join her.

I was almost done with school; in fact I had only one semester left to graduate with a teaching degree. But in the course of my work I became pregnant and my family expected the father to take responsibility for me and pay my tuition. I couldn’t tell them that I did not know the man, so I never finished my degree.

It was a dark time in my life, sometimes it felt like a nightmare, but with time I got used to it all. In the village men court you before you have sex, it was hard to have sex with strangers. Today, I am used to the work we do, but  I face challenges like the risk of arrest, and bad treatment from society. Being a moonlight star makes you an outcast; people view you as immoral almost to a point of not being human.

When I first arrived at RHU they were very welcoming, they listened to me. They taught me about safety, both in terms of health and my personal security. Today, I am a peer educator and my training as a teacher helps me do it well.  We are role models, every day we see more women beginning to work and it is our task to make sure they take care of themselves.

Today I have a loving man in my life. We have been together for 6 years and have a child together and another on the way.  I hope one day I can finish my degree and become a certified teacher. What I want for my life is safety and security, and I want to no longer suffer from discrimination.