Rwamagana: 15-year-old was made pregnant by a daddy of four, after lying to her family that she was going to pray

A 21-year-old girl from Rwamagana District, Kigabiro Sector, described how she visited a man after carrying a Bible and lying to her caregivers that she was going to church, and got pregnant.

In the testimony of this girl we named Ingabire Sandrine (Names changed). She said she got pregnant at the age of 15 and gave birth at the age of 16 yet her abuser had lied to her about being single yet she was an adult man with four children.

Ingabire explains how she got pregnant and confirmed that she was on vacation and met the man who told her he loved her but got her pregnant and lied to her that he was going to take her out.

"It was during the holidays that I met the a daddy but I didn't know he had four children, I found out later. So he came to tell me to come out to the Expo, he told me to go to Rwamagana." I told my family that I was going to pray because they could not allow me to leave, so I took my Bible and went to Rwamagana and called him, but when he reached me, he told me that he was tired and that he needed to go home to change his shoes and take his sandals before we came back.

When we got to the place, he brought me into the house. When he arrived, he didn't talk to me. He immediately took off my clothes."

The girl confirms that pregnancy at an early age affected her health and urges girls to avoid cheating and get pregnant.

"When I told the man that I was pregnant, he told me to go away and live with him. He was really lying to me so that days pass on because my family asked me who got me pregnant but the man was never found because everything he told me was a lie even his name. My supporters kicked me out at a young age because he got me pregnant when I was 15, I started living on my own with pregnancy, making a fuss to make a living.

After giving birth I came to see the family charities helping me get back to school because I had just finished third and I was back in school. The child is fed up with the development center and I am also fed up with school, when we are not educated and working hard to make a living. "

The girl advises girls who receive gifts from men to avoid getting pregnant.

"I would advise every girl to avoid distractions because giving birth at a young age has a lot of consequences. Look like I started raising myself as a child, raising a child at a young age. I would advise girls not to believe in men who deceive them and tell them that they love them. Because the consequences that come after a pregnancy are many. "

Rwamagana district administration says it has returned to the issue of teenagers being abused and raped. Mayor Mbonyumuvunyi Radjabu says in his district they have launched a campaign called 'Let's Go and Protect Children'.

Mayor Rajabu said: "Let's go and protect the children is a campaign we have started to prepare for the future of Rwamagana and I used to tell my fellow leaders that we stand up like an airplane and when it takes off it does not go back down. " Our youth, child molesters are criminals, so we warn those who hide them because those who hide the perpetrator are also punished as accomplices."

Rwamagana district administration annually estimates that between 200 and 300 children under the age of 19 become pregnant.