Juliet, a friendly 25-year-old woman, is the fifth child in a family of eleven. At a young age, Juliet left home to live with her aunt. Her aunt eventually forced her to marry the father of her child after Juliet became pregnant.
During her pregnancy, Juliet did not receive antenatal care and gave birth with the help of a traditional birth attendant (munenwa). She labored for nearly 24 hours. Without formal medical care, Juliet suffered the consequences of a lengthy labor and began leaking urine shortly after the birth of her child. Her husband sent her away, and she returned to live with her parents. She explained her issues to her mother and pleaded to go to the hospital to meet with a qualified health worker. However, her mother insisted that traditional medicinal herbs could cure her.
Without a cure in sight, Juliet became depressed, lost her appetite for three months, and developed suicidal tendencies. She convinced herself that her father had cursed her and that the father of her child had bewitched her.
Through a friend, Juliet learned about UVP and the possibility of attending a repair camp. She subsequently traveled over 350 km from her parents’ home to attend the camp at Kamuli Mission Hospital. Upon arrival, she met fellow patients and became increasingly hopeful that surgery would be successful. After surgery, Juliet excitedly realised that she was finally no longer leaking. She expressed her dedication to working hard for her future and her desire to share her experiences with others.
“I used to think that I was bewitched, but I am very happy to see that I am now well. I want to learn tailoring and work hard for myself and my child.”