A Tale of Resilience: Love, Betrayal, and Triumph for Adolescent Mothers Living with HIV

For adolescent mothers living with HIV (AMLHIV), disclosing one’s status can mean the difference between despair and hope—between struggle and strength. 

When Julia discovered she was pregnant and HIV-positive, fear gripped her. How would Peter, her HIV-negative husband, react? But the moment she shared the news, he stood by her side without hesitation.

“The moment I told him, he committed to support me in the treatment journey. I remember he said, taking ARV is like taking malaria medicine, so he would be here for me every time I need him. He also insisted on being present for all my hospital visits,” she said.

The support extended to setting up her business. Julia runs a small eatery that delivers various food items such as chapati and beans stew.  Peter, who is a bodaboda rider, delivers the chapati Julia makes to schools and picks up the necessary items she needs for her business. This way, she has been able to not only provide for her family but also set money aside for expanding her business and for the future.

But not all stories are like Julia’s. For Kadzo, her eatery business had been quite successful until she gave birth to her child and decided to take a break to recover. When she was ready to return to work and continue serving her loyal clients, she was shocked to discover something unbelievable.

“My baby’s father sold my business right under my nose. He took advantage of my vulnerability while I was weak and made this move. What’s worse is that I didn’t see a single shilling from the sale,” she said.Devastated but determined, Kadzo fought back.

“I went to his employer and demanded they deduct what he owed me from his salary.” With the funds recovered and startup support from the Reaching the Last Girl (RTLG)  project, she rebuilt her business—this time, smarter. Gone were the rented stalls; now, she operates from her kitchen, waking at 4 a.m. to supply fresh donuts and mandazi to local shops.

As part of the RTLG project, Kadzo and Julia not only received startup funding for their businesses but also underwent training to enhance their personal agency and decision-making power. This training focused on personal empowerment, effective parenting, food security and optimal nutrition, as well as HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), entrepreneurship, and advocacy. The experience proved to be a game changer in their lives.

“Previously, I would not stand up for myself. I let others make decisions about my life and accepted whatever they said. But now, with the training and self-reflection, I can stand against any injustice. This motivation drove me to approach my husband’s employer to claim what I was owed,” she explains.

Amina’s story also exemplifies taking back one’s urgency and raw courage. After enduring emotional abuse and infidelity, she confronted her husband, only for him to retaliate by burning down her profitable eatery. “The father of my child was emotionally abusive and was cheating on me. After I confronted him, things escalated, and I had to leave. He was so furious that he burned down the premises of my eatery business, which had just started making a profit,” she explains.

However, the RTLG empowerment training ignited a fire within her. She walked away, relocated her business, and is now rebuilding her life—on her own terms.

For these young mothers, resilience isn’t just about survival—it’s about thriving against all odds. Their journeys prove: with the right support, no obstacle is too great to overcome.