Victoria's Story

Grace Ernst, a U.S. university student interning for Hope Alive! during the spring semester of 2022, shares about her time with HA! alumna, Victoria. 

A few weeks ago, fellow intern Tessa and I rode to Victoria’s home on a boda (a motorcycle taxi). Victoria lives in a small compound with two thatched-roof mud huts and a small building near the Koro office. The day was hot and dry, normal for this time of the year, and there was dust everywhere. Even so, Victoria (not her real name) greeted us upon arrival and led us to a place she had prepared for us to sit in the shade of a large mango tree. Luckily, a breeze provided nature’s best air conditioning. Victoria sat in front of us on a dried papyrus mat beside her mother and her daughter. 

As usual, with our Ugandan meetings, we began with prayer. I love prayer here because it is everywhere. Our interactions and meetings don’t cut straight to the point like they do in the States; instead, we just spent some time together before starting to ask her about her past. She grew up in a refugee camp near the Hope Alive! (HA!) site in Koro. Her friend was a HA! student; Victoria accompanied her to Hope Alive! often as a guest. Victoria came so often that eventually staff enrolled her in Hope Alive! too. For years, HA! staff discipled Victoria and provided her with bedding, clothing, school tuition, and supplies. She seemed to have everything she needed to succeed. However, as she grew older, Victoria was tempted by the idea of marriage and a family. When she fell in love with a boy, she made the mistake of going too fast and became pregnant. Victoria had to drop out of school, the father of the child could not support her, and the walls of cultural shame closed in on her as her family kept her at a distance.

Although she had lost much, Victoria knew she still had God. In fact, through her trials, her faith was solidified; she knew God would never leave her. She gave birth, with difficulty, to a child whose name means “gift”. Even though she became a mother at just 17, she knew her child was a gift from God. 

Victoria told us that she only survived because of God’s grace and that she has grown spiritually through this experience. She is active in her local church and sings in the choir. She hopes to marry someday but is waiting patiently for God to bring the right man into her life. She urges the younger girls of Hope Alive! to wait steadily for God’s plan for their lives. She prays her daughter will not make the same mistakes she did and will grow up strong and healthy. We join her in that prayer. While the past has been dark for Victoria, her future is full of possibilities for redemption and continuing growth in and through God’s Word. Because of Victoria’s spiritual discipleship through Hope Alive!, she has been able to overcome her difficult circumstances.