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Appoline's Empowerment Journey 

Nineteen-year-old Appoline’s life looked very different just a few years ago. Born in a family of four siblings, Appoline grew up with a lot of instability in Congo, only knowing violence in her home country since birth. Due to ongoing violent clashes, her family had to flee and abandon their home several times during her childhood such that her education was cut short in the sixth grade after the family fled another attack. Her parents were subsistence farmers who struggled to make ends meet.

Appoline’s journey to Kenya was an uncomfortable, but hopeful one. Her family traveled with several people hidden among goods on transit in a commercial truck. From discussions among the other fleeing people, she knew that she was going to a place where she would find the security that she had lacked for most of her life.

Appoline fled Congo because of insecurity and ongoing violence, crossing from Congo to Uganda on foot and arriving in Kenya on a commercial truck from Uganda.. During an attack on their village, her older sister experienced horrific sexual violence that left her traumatized and pregnant. Her father lived in constant fear that the same fate would befall his only other daughter and sent Appoline to live with her aunt who resided in another village. She traveled to her aunt’s place along with her nephew since her sister was not able to care for him. 

Unfortunately, after a few months at her aunt’s place, their village was attacked by armed men. Appoline’s voice breaks as she recounts the details from her traumatic past. The attack happened at night, and Appoline fled on foot with scores of other villagers. She got separated from her aunt and nephew at some point and was captured by the militia. They held her captive in the forest with several other women and girls as slaves. After enduring weeks of forced labor and sexual slavery, Appoline managed to escape with a few girls when their captors sent them on an errand alone. Appoline found her way back to her aunt’s village and reconnected with her nephew who had been taken in by an elderly neighbor who had stayed hidden during the attack. The group decided to walk to safety to neighboring Uganda following various groups of people fleeing the violence. From Uganda, Appoline and her nephew traveled to Nairobi by hiding in the back of a commercial truck. They were dropped at the UNHCR offices where they were later connected to HIAS and CVT for assistance in 2018. A caseworker in CVT, where Approline, was receiving counseling therapy services, recommended her to RefuSHE for further support.

Before joining RefuSHE, Appoline was deeply troubled and uncertain about her future. She constantly worried about how to take care of her nephew and meet their needs without much support. However, after joining the Girls’ Empowerment Program in 2019, her worries have begun to alleviate. Speaking with her now, Appoline is grateful for the support that RefuSHE has given her in education, financial assistance, and provision of basic needs. Since joining the GEP, she is more balanced, confident, and less worried about the future.

She is in the Girls Empowerment Program, receiving basic education, life skills, and vocational training. She also receives services from Case Management such as diapers. During the height of the covid-19 pandemic, RefuSHE provided her with cash assistance, rent money, and food baskets for her two children and nephew.

Appoline also excitedly explains that she would like to become a medical doctor! “My favorite subject is English,” Appoline says, talking about her love for learning. She has even topped her class for the last two terms. Appoline looks forward to joining secondary school after completing her primary level education and entering university in the future.