I am a 38-year-old woman, born in Kampala, Uganda. My father had six children with my stepmother, and nine children with my mother. My siblings and I are not close, nor were they close to my mother.
Our family situation was not favorable and we lacked everything. My father was a government army soldier with a modest income that barely covered our household expenses. From an early age, I understood that I had to work hard to survive.
I was in Form 4 in high school when our father disappeared and left us without income. We did not know why or where he had gone. Even the army was looking for him. We were left destitute.
One day, I decided to run away from home due to the tough conditions we were facing. I was separated from my family for seven years without them knowing my whereabouts. By the time I returned, I had missed most of my middle school years.
