Lights of hope

Among the communities of Terego District, two young girls found themselves in desperate circumstances, each facing a different form of abuse and neglect. Their stories, though distinct, share a common thread: the impact of a well-coordinated child protection system to intervene, heal, and restore hope.

Joanita's story

Joanita is a 16-year-old girl fathered by a Lugbara man from Oviconi village, Adripi parish, Bileafe sub county, Terego District. When she was just two months old, her parents separated and her mother, Ms. Nakimwelo Milly, took her to their home in Kampala, where she grew up.

As she grew into adolescence, Joanita developed a deep desire to know her father. She persistently asked her mother to take her to visit him. At the age of 15, her mother finally made the journey with her to Terego. After staying a few days, the mother returned to Kampala, leaving Joanita in the full care of her biological father, Mr. Andiandu Jimmy, 43 years old.

Because of her age, Joanita could not share a house with other family members due to privacy concerns, so she was given a separate hut within the same compound. She knew no language other than Luganda and a little English, making communication with the family extremely difficult. Her father, having previously lived in Kampala, could speak Luganda and so became the closest person she felt comfortable with.

Joanita was enrolled at Liria Primary School in Primary 5. Shortly after, her father began visiting her room at night under the pretence of keeping her company, as she was not used to the environment and was afraid to be alone in the dark. He then began sexually abusing her repeatedly, threatening to stop paying her school fees if she told anyone. Joanita kept silent, and the abuse continued until she became pregnant.

The matter was eventually reported to the parasocial workers and local leaders, and the case was referred to the district probation office and police. Her father was arrested. After his arrest, some paternal relatives turned against Joanita, blaming her for his detention and refusing to allow her to remain in the compound. She was taken in by a distant relative, where she currently lives with her baby.

The system steps in

A parasocial worker played a pivotal role in reporting the case to probation. Local council leaders escalated the matter to the sub-county level. A health centre carried out a medical examination of the survivor and provided post-exposure prophylaxis. Police conducted investigations and arrested the perpetrator. The probation team offered counselling, follow-up and emergency support, with support from UNICEF through the Spotlight Initiative funded by the European Union and the Netherlands. The Arua High Court sentenced the father to 15 years imprisonment for defilement, and he is currently serving his sentence at Arua Main Prison.

Through a well-established coordination network, Joanita was linked with Child Voice, a local civil society organisation in Terego District, which is funding her participation in a 20-month life skills training course in Gulu District. Upon completion, she will acquire skills to be self-sustaining and provide for herself and her child.

Favour's story

Favour is a 16-year-old girl from Kibgoro village, Anavu parish, Katrini sub county, Terego District. She became pregnant at the age of 15 while in Primary 5. When her father discovered this, he was furious and deeply disappointed. He chased her away from home. Favour then went to stay with her grandmother, where she remained until she delivered her baby.

With the intervention of a parasocial worker, the case reached the district probation office. Favour's father was invited to the office, counselled on the importance of family support, and eventually accepted to take his daughter back home and back to school.

Beyond family reintegration, the Terego District Senior Probation Officer worked to remove Favour from a child marriage situation, counselled her thoroughly, resettled her with her family, and supported her integration back into the school system. Thanks to continuous follow up and the support of her Senior Woman Teacher, Favour sat her Primary Leaving Examinations in 2025 and she looks forward to continuing with secondary education and hopes for a bright future.

The GBV shelter provided Favour with dignity kits, scholastic materials and consistent counselling and follow-up. She benefited from a life skills toolkit training funded by the Spotlight Initiative through UNICEF and Terego District Local Government, which gave her knowledge on sexual and reproductive health rights.

Through dialogues with out-of-school adolescents, Favour came to understand the dangers of teenage pregnancy and harmful cultural norms. This knowledge enabled her to make informed choices and decide to return to school. 

The structures built right from the community level, including parasocial workers, local council leaders, community development officers and the probation team, provided effective case management, psychosocial support, counselling and continuous follow-up.

Favour is now back in school, happy, and looking forward to the future with renewed confidence.