My names are Victoria Nabwami, a resident of Kampala. I got polio at the age of eight that left my left leg paralysed. My father chased away my mother from his home, saying that they don’t produce disabled children in their family. My father also rejected me and sent me away together with my mother. My mother struggled to bring me up with the help of my grandparents. I missed on education because my mother and grandparents were so poor to raise the money both for my basic needs and school requirements.

A man raped me and I conceived at the age of 14 years. I had never had sex before. I gave birth but the rapist denied the child’s paternity and refused to marry me because of my disability.

I got married to another man at 17 years. This man told me that my disability wasn’t an issue to him because he was genuinely in love with me and I was convinced.

Things went on well at first. I conceived and gave birth to his first child. After some time, he started asking me to play sex with him using some sex positions that I could not manage because of my weak leg that could not adequately support my weight. When I failed, he started to complain that I was not good enough in sex.

Life started to become difficult since his love started to reduce and he begun behaving weirdly. After producing my third borne, I started hearing rumours that he had already married another woman. He also kept on telling the entire village that I was not good in bed. I became the talk of the village. I divorced and left the village because I was so much ashamed. I lost interest in all men and I swore never to fall in love again with any man.

By Victoria Nabwami