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Apamungu Brigit ’s journey of healing and giving back
At just 24 years old, Apamungu Brigit is both a mother to two young children and a guardian to her three younger siblings. Her life was upended by a brutal attack in Mbuya, Kampala, that claimed the lives of her father and two brothers. In the aftermath, Brigit endured a harrowing ordeal of sexual violence that left her pregnant and grappling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Fleeing for safety, she arrived at Kakuma refugee camp and spent her first days at the reception center, lost, vulnerable, and traumatized. While there, she participated in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness sessions, which marked the beginning of her healing journey. These sessions led her to the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), where she began receiving psychotherapy support.
Brigit also received a Menstrual Health and Management (MHM) kit with essential items aimed at reducing the risk of survival sex among women and girls in need of menstrual hygiene supplies.
Determined to break the cycle of violence and silence, Brigit immersed herself in GBV prevention and response activities. Today, she volunteers at a safe home, offering temporary shelter and emotional support to other GBV survivors. “I am now better positioned to give back to the community what I received,” she says. “I understand life more, I am experienced, I can open up and share my story to encourage others.”
To support her household amidst tough economic conditions and reduced food rations due to the rollout of differentiated assistance, Brigit puts her skills in nail art and hairdressing to use. She also takes on laundry work and other odd jobs to help make ends meet.
272 GBV survivors like Brigit have benefitted from MHM kits through European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations funded interventions, helping restore dignity and promote healing. When Brigit ’s temporary shelter was broken into and all their food rations were stolen, DRC stepped in, providing her with emergency food assistance that included flour, rice, beans, lentils, sugar, and porridge.
Brigit ’s resilience is a testament to the transformative power of support, dignity, and second chances. From victim to volunteer, she is now a beacon of hope to others walking the path she once did.
