Provia's story
I am called KESANDE PROVIA, a female aged 28, and Ugandan by nationality. I come from a polygamous family. My father (now the late) had three women and my mother is a second wife. I am the 9th child in the order of birth. Seven children are my half brothers and sisters. In my mother’s womb, we are born two but my brother passed on.
I grew up with my father only because my mother separated with my father when I was only two years. My father tried his level best as a man to raise me up but right away from my childhood I missed mother's love and care. I grew up with that bitterness, lack of mother's love and care, and mistreatment from my step mothers and half brothers and sisters.
At the age of three years, me and my brother started school in a rural school and in primary three my brother passed away and I was left alone with my father.
I completed primary level very well because my father was still alive and I joined secondary school in some good school in our region.
When I was in senior two (8th grade) first term, my father fell sick and he could not support me anymore, so I had to leave school in 1997 and I started taking care of him because even my elder brothers and sisters had neglected him simply because he married my mother. I suffered a lot with my father until he passed away in 1998.
TURNING POINT
The years 1998-2001 are memorable in my life. In the same year when my father passed away, I became desperate, started drinking, doing all sorts of dirty things on earth and no one was bothered about me and actually I counted myself as a failure in life. I was called all sorts of names and I was surviving on God’s mercy.
In the same year 1998 in October, I met a certain man who promised that he would take me back to school only in the exchange of sex. I did so and the end result was pregnancy. I got pregnant at a young age because I gave birth to my child when I was only 16 years old. I suffered with the pregnancy, no care from the man because he disappeared and I never had any contact with him.
I went through all nine months of pregnancy without any care at all. I gave birth in July 23, 1999. I remember I gave birth from the village with the village birth attendants because I could not access health facilities as I was unable to support myself financially. Thank God I produced properly without any difficulties, but I didn't have clothing for the kid ( each moment I remember that situation I cry).
I nursed my baby until 2001 when I had to leave her home with some relatives and decided to go back to school. I left my kid when she was two-and-a-half years old. I took a decision to go back to school because I had suffered a lot. I thought that the only way to survive was to acquire some qualification, and because I left my daughter alone when she was young, she took time to realize that I am the mother. Even now, she calls me Aunt.
PAYING FOR SCHOOL
I paid for my school fees from senior one (7th grade) up to senior four (10th grade). I used to work for people as a house maid, sometimes I could also sell the property and assets which my father had left with me including animals, utensils, garden etc. The most annoying part is that my step brothers were the ones buying from me cheaply because they were not happy for my going back to school.
When I completed senior four, I got good grades and I was offered a sponsorship in a good school for advanced level. I studied for free because the Headmaster of that school was the one paying all my school fees from senior five (junior year) up to senior six (senior year). For scholastic materials, I was providing for myself by selling the above mentioned assets to my brothers and sometimes I could stay at school and work for the school in the holidays for my pocket money.
After advanced level, I did very well, and the government of Uganda sponsors girls who perform very well at the university. I was sponsored for all the three years at the University by the Government but still provided accommodations and personal belongings for myself through hard work and being friendly to people.
After the university, I still got good grades of whereby one well wisher from Drake University who came to visit Uganda in 2009 offered to sponsor me for my Masters degree.
I finished my 1st degree in 2010 and now am in my final year of masters in Hospitality and Tourism Management. I do my education alongside work because immediately after my masters, I got a job in a hotel where I worked as a supervisor and later joined Riley packaging as a marketer and currently I teach in Kabale University in the Department of Tourism.
I keep changing jobs because the pay is little which cannot meet the cost of living and I am sure that after my Masters I will get a better job which will help me realize my dreams. My dream is to become self-sustaining through self-employment and with that I will also be able to support my daughter in both ways.
TAKING CARE OF MY KID
It has not been easy for me to take care of my daughter while at school. It has been a challenge to me but the good thing with my daughter, she is promising. She has been performing well at school and understands that I earn from scratch. So the little I give her she accepts. I am sure her future is going to be bright. I wouldn’t wish for my daughter to go through hell as I did.
I thank God for the kind of person I am today because when I reflect back, I see that it has been a long journey.
Lastly, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to whoever supports me and my daughter. May the Almighty reward you abundantly.
LOVE FOREVER
PROVIA.
I grew up with my father only because my mother separated with my father when I was only two years. My father tried his level best as a man to raise me up but right away from my childhood I missed mother's love and care. I grew up with that bitterness, lack of mother's love and care, and mistreatment from my step mothers and half brothers and sisters.
At the age of three years, me and my brother started school in a rural school and in primary three my brother passed away and I was left alone with my father.
I completed primary level very well because my father was still alive and I joined secondary school in some good school in our region.
When I was in senior two (8th grade) first term, my father fell sick and he could not support me anymore, so I had to leave school in 1997 and I started taking care of him because even my elder brothers and sisters had neglected him simply because he married my mother. I suffered a lot with my father until he passed away in 1998.
TURNING POINT
The years 1998-2001 are memorable in my life. In the same year when my father passed away, I became desperate, started drinking, doing all sorts of dirty things on earth and no one was bothered about me and actually I counted myself as a failure in life. I was called all sorts of names and I was surviving on God’s mercy.
In the same year 1998 in October, I met a certain man who promised that he would take me back to school only in the exchange of sex. I did so and the end result was pregnancy. I got pregnant at a young age because I gave birth to my child when I was only 16 years old. I suffered with the pregnancy, no care from the man because he disappeared and I never had any contact with him.
I went through all nine months of pregnancy without any care at all. I gave birth in July 23, 1999. I remember I gave birth from the village with the village birth attendants because I could not access health facilities as I was unable to support myself financially. Thank God I produced properly without any difficulties, but I didn't have clothing for the kid ( each moment I remember that situation I cry).
I nursed my baby until 2001 when I had to leave her home with some relatives and decided to go back to school. I left my kid when she was two-and-a-half years old. I took a decision to go back to school because I had suffered a lot. I thought that the only way to survive was to acquire some qualification, and because I left my daughter alone when she was young, she took time to realize that I am the mother. Even now, she calls me Aunt.
PAYING FOR SCHOOL
I paid for my school fees from senior one (7th grade) up to senior four (10th grade). I used to work for people as a house maid, sometimes I could also sell the property and assets which my father had left with me including animals, utensils, garden etc. The most annoying part is that my step brothers were the ones buying from me cheaply because they were not happy for my going back to school.
When I completed senior four, I got good grades and I was offered a sponsorship in a good school for advanced level. I studied for free because the Headmaster of that school was the one paying all my school fees from senior five (junior year) up to senior six (senior year). For scholastic materials, I was providing for myself by selling the above mentioned assets to my brothers and sometimes I could stay at school and work for the school in the holidays for my pocket money.
After advanced level, I did very well, and the government of Uganda sponsors girls who perform very well at the university. I was sponsored for all the three years at the University by the Government but still provided accommodations and personal belongings for myself through hard work and being friendly to people.
After the university, I still got good grades of whereby one well wisher from Drake University who came to visit Uganda in 2009 offered to sponsor me for my Masters degree.
I finished my 1st degree in 2010 and now am in my final year of masters in Hospitality and Tourism Management. I do my education alongside work because immediately after my masters, I got a job in a hotel where I worked as a supervisor and later joined Riley packaging as a marketer and currently I teach in Kabale University in the Department of Tourism.
I keep changing jobs because the pay is little which cannot meet the cost of living and I am sure that after my Masters I will get a better job which will help me realize my dreams. My dream is to become self-sustaining through self-employment and with that I will also be able to support my daughter in both ways.
TAKING CARE OF MY KID
It has not been easy for me to take care of my daughter while at school. It has been a challenge to me but the good thing with my daughter, she is promising. She has been performing well at school and understands that I earn from scratch. So the little I give her she accepts. I am sure her future is going to be bright. I wouldn’t wish for my daughter to go through hell as I did.
I thank God for the kind of person I am today because when I reflect back, I see that it has been a long journey.
Lastly, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to whoever supports me and my daughter. May the Almighty reward you abundantly.
LOVE FOREVER
PROVIA.