Rescue and Restoration: Yvonne’s Story
Please pray for the children, like Yvonne, who are being sold, abused, and trafficked across the globe and do not have anyone to advocate for them.
Yvonne (green skirt) is 12 years old, and she is pregnant with her stepfather’s child.
At 7 years old, her stepfather began abusing her. She never understood why the man she called “dad” was so cruel and why he would beat her and her mother.“He abused us a lot, but I had no rights so I kept quiet. Everyone was afraid of him.”
She was in the 2nd grade this spring when schools closed due to the Coronavirus. That is when her stepfather raped her. Her mother is now a single parent, and their family is facing punishing hardships. The pandemic has brought extreme economic strain and she cannot find work to pay for food or shelter.
“I am seven months pregnant now and am afraid about everything happening in my life. I am traumatized and can’t think straight. Every night I cry and don’t know what to do or what will come next for me. Life has stopped moving for me and my mother. I am twelve. I don’t know what it means to be pregnant. I feel like my life ended the day he raped me. I can’t even play with my friends or go back to school. I don’t know what will happen to me, but all I know is that I want to go back to school.” – Yvonne
This little girl’s pain is unimaginable. Yvonne lives miles from a road, and when it comes time to give birth, her family will load her into a wheelbarrow and hope they make it to the clinic in time. There will be no pain medication, postpartum care, or maternity leave. Once she has her baby, going back to school will be a big mountain to climb.
Recently, the Child Protection Team learned about Yvonne’s critical circumstance and they stepped in. Teachers and counselors have worked together to help Yvonne with medical care, counseling, food, and a plan for her future. Pictured is Yvonne receiving critical supplies for herself and her coming baby. Her perpetrator has been arrested and is in jail. Justice is being demanded. Yvonne will have a better tomorrow and the opportunity to finish school. Fortunately, her story is still being written.
An Update on Yvonne
A few weeks ago, Yvonne had her baby, a beautiful boy named “Hope.” His name is a dedication to you – because Yvonne feels her life was saved by all of you.
Before her stepfather was arrested, he was training in witchcraft. After his arrest, the local witch doctors burned down Yvonne’s family’s home in retaliation. Yvonne and her siblings have been enrolled in our schools and we have since moved them to a home closer to our schools. They have been given tools to create a garden at their new home so they can grow ther own food and create a sustainable living. Yvonne and her siblings will now be safe and have a much shorter walk to class. Her siblings have never stepped foot in a classroom and are so excited to start school.
Pictured: Fizwell, an African Vision of Hope Child Protection Officer, and Judi Bertels, CEO, with Yvonne and her mother & sibings. Yvonne and her family are enrolled in school and sponsored.
YOU can transform the life of a child waiting for a sponsor.
Email info@africanvisionofhope.org or click here to sponsor a child today!
