meet Jovan

Uganda - Years ago, Jovan’s father left home to find work in another town. He never returned. Instead, he found himself another wife and started a new family, leaving Jovan and her five siblings to be raised in poverty by their now-single mother.

Life was difficult in their Ugandan town, but Jovan’s epilepsy and mental disabilities were an additional strain on the family. Her seducer, a 19 year old man, wasn’t aware of her medical conditions when he convinced Jovan to run away and marry him. They had only been married two months when he decided that she was too big of a burden. Just like her father before him, Jovan’s new husband left home to find work and never returned.

Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of a defenseless 17 year old girl, Jovan’s father-in-law defiled her and caused her to become pregnant. Deciding that he didn’t want to deal with her pregnancy or her epilepsy, he sent Jovan back home to her mother, who was also overwhelmed and unsure of how to care for Jovan in this state.

One of our partner hospitals encountered Jovan and quickly referred her to our Community Based Care Program. Our team of experts were able to care for Jovan throughout her pregnancy, providing prenatal medical attention and ultrasounds while also treating her epilepsy. Impact Nations was able to cover all of her medical bills, including the C-section birth of a healthy baby girl.

With help from our family reconciliation team, Jovan has returned home to live with her mother and her other siblings. She is able to focus on raising her baby while her mother works as a gardener to support the entire family.

Countless young girls like Jovan face the horrors of family abuse and child marriage in Uganda every year. Without intervention, they end up on the streets and their babies may die. You could be the one to rescue a teen mom and her unborn baby.