Georgina's story

Georgina is only 14 years old. Her mother died when she was younger so she went to live with her sister. Georgina and her sister started attending a new church where the preacher claimed that the congregation were all possessed by bad spirits.

They said the bad spirit came from me and I was a witch.

Georgina’s father is a pastor; he took her away from her sister so he could pray for her.

Many blamed Georgina for her mother’s death. For days, between midnight and 4am,  they beat her with sticks, to try get her to admit that she was a witch. Georgina's father didn’t believe her pleas of innocence and abandoned her; he forbid her to live with her sister or go to church.

Georgina asked her aunt if she could stay with her, but her aunt feared she would teach her children how to practice witchcraft. Georgina took to the streets and became homeless. 

She spent the night near a church where a pastor found her and took her to the police; they took her to a children’s home. The centre contacted her father, but he refused to take her home. Instead, they found a family for Georgina to stay with.

One day, the father of the household tried to rape Georgina. She struggled with him to get him to stop, and luckily, his wife came home and Georgina was able to escape. Now, Georgina and the programme co-ordinators are searching for another family for her to rebuild her life with.

In the future I want to study communications and become a journalist to talk about the situation of children and what the government can do for them.

Georgina is in 3^rd form in secondary school where her tuition fees are paid for through SCIAF's partners. She loves studying French, reading, and writing.

Like Georgina, there are thousands of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo who need your help. Please donate so these women can receive the support they need to feel empowered and free of shame.