I had lived with my husband for 12 years but when he stood up to me and denied fathering my 3 children, I was devastated beyond words.

Later I realized it was an excuse to abandon me and my children so he could find other woman who was his ‘type’.

My husband was learned and spoke perfect English. He wanted I woman that measured up to him and did not embarrass him like I did.

So he started coming home late in the night and sometimes he did not return at all. This routine late-coming turned from days to weeks and later to months.

I was a well groomed house wife who did not question my husband’s suspicious habits but rather received him with warm served dinner at the table.

It wasn’t long when word reached my ears that my husband had married 2 new wives in another village and that was the reason he never return home anymore.

I still held on with patience and hope that it was just a phase he was going through and he will soon get over it and remember that I was his wife and the mother of his three children.

I hate to admit it now but I was wrong. My husband did not ‘see the light’.

He instead cut off all contact with us and moved the local bar he had to the new village.  

I could not look after our children alone. The numerous responsibilities were weighing me down. I had to find food for my children every day and the school tuition was something I could not pay even if I sold all my belongings.

To make matters worse, the house we lived in collapsed during a thunderstorm. We spent the night at the neighbors and the next day we left for my parent’s home.

My mother welcomed us home; we had a roof over our heads and meals each day.

We woke up on a Thursday morning to yet another tragedy. My mother had died peacefully in her bed. I was shaken because she was my best friend.

But life had to go on; I struggled to make a living from what my mother had left me.

It seemed that my misery was coming in double fold. My son caught Malaria that got him bed ridden and nearly cost him his life. I thought my husband would feel some remorse after abandoning us for this long and come to our aid.

I was wrong again.

He bluntly asked me to leave claiming he had ‘divorced’ me and my children and they were no longer his children but bustards. He also said I should go and find them a father who is willing to take care of them.

I could not take this anymore. My brother advised me to report the matter to the LCI chairman whose persuasion failed. He then referred me to police who summoned my husband. At the police station he still denied us basing on the paternity of the children. This is when the police referred us to MIFUMI.

This whole referring process had worn me out because there seemed to be no hope of convincing my husband to accept me and our children. So I took my time to go to MIFUMI.

One day when I was in town, I visited MIFUMI advice center. I was so relieved when the advisor I met listened patiently to my story and told me not to worry because all will be alright.

Indeed in less than 3 weeks, everything was alright.

MIFUMI helped me to file a case in the family and children’s court of Tororo Chief Magistrate’s Court. My husband accepted to take up responsibility of our children and recently he gave me 200,000 Ug Shillings to start up some income generating business.