In Her Shoes: Colette

Every heart holds a story. When we share these stories, that is how we learn, relate, and know that we are not alone. Today we are honored to hear from Colette from Rwanda. Fix yourself a cup of tea, open up your heart, and let Colette tell you what it is like to be IN HER SHOES…

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I am 20 years old. When I was 18 I met a man by accident and I got pregnant. I had to drop out of school for two years to raise my baby girl. Mireilla Kessy is now two-and-a-half years old. When I got pregnant, my family went to court so the father would take care of our child.

I live with my parents and my five siblings. Three of my siblings are married. I’m very lucky that my family tries to help me with my little girl. My mother was heartbroken when I got pregnant, and thankfully my father did not abuse me or abandon me when he learned about the baby.

The hardest thing about being a mother is EVERYTHING.

The best thing about being a mother is when she calls me Mama.

I am now back in high school, and working hard to catch up so I can graduate. My favorite subject is Literature. One of my favorite books is Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. My biggest hope is to be a politician or attorney someday. I want to help other girls who find themselves with unwanted pregnancies. I want to help them like my family helped me - so they don’t have to go into prostitution like so many girls in our position. Ultimately, I want to remove the bad stigma and name attached to being a teen mother.

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*Story told to Ginger Lobdell and translated by Eva Mugisha

**Friendly reminder that all of the women we photograph and share their stories have given their permission.

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A big MURAKOZE (Thank you) to Colette for sharing her story with us today. We are working on expanding job training in Rwanda so Colette and others can continue to make a living and provide for their families, and girls will not have to sell their bodies. If you would like to spread HOPE around the world, CLICK HERE to purchase a handmade bag from Rwanda for your very own, or CLICK HERE to donate today!

Every heart holds a story. If you have a story from your life that you would like to share, please email Ginger@SheHopes.org or contact us HERE.