In Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, young girls’ dreams are often stifled by the harsh realities of life. Many face unwanted pregnancies and gender-based violence, often linked to a lack of access to sexual information and appropriate contraceptive methods. This hinders their education, exposes them to physical and mental health risks, and restricts their ability to decide. Yet in the face of adversity, some find the strength to rewrite their destiny. This is the story of Marie, a 17-year-old girl whose courage and resilience brighten a path of hope.
Header image used here for illustrative purposes only. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment. (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Ever since she was a little girl, Marie dreamed of wearing a white hospital coat and saving lives. “When I looked at doctors on TV or in the street, I said to myself: one day, that’s going to be me,” she says. Orphaned since the age of 10, she found refuge in her studies and believed that she had a bright future ahead of her. “I knew that my parents, from where they are, would be proud to see me working hard.”
Image: Photo illustration by Ipas, photos from Unsplash and iStock
But one day, her life took an unexpected turn. Marie discovered that she was pregnant after being raped. She felt overwhelmed by the weight of judgments and the thought of her foster family abandoning her. “I saw my dreams vanishing,” she says. “If I kept this child, I’d lose everything: my studies, my home, maybe even my dignity.” Every day, she wondered if she would have to give up her future.
It was while talking to a friend that Marie discovered a health center supported by Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which offered comprehensive abortion care. After hesitating for several days, she finally walked through the center’s door, filled with fear, but also a glimpse of hope. “When I arrived, I was so scared. But a woman took my hand and said: ‘Welcome, you are safe here’. Those words moved me deeply. I was no longer alone,” she says.
Pictured above: Staff and community members standing at entrance of the Ipas-supported Makala Center of Excellence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Marie went for care.
At the Ipas-supported health facility, the Makala Center of Excellence, a counselor listened to her without interrupting or judging. Marie was able to talk about her dreams, her love for science, and her desire to pursue her studies to become a doctor someday. “They not only provided me with care; they listened to my story,” she says. “They saw the girl full of dreams that I am, not just a girl in distress.”
After thinking long and hard, Marie decided to end her pregnancy. The abortion process was safe, and she received information on how to better protect herself in the future. “When I left the center, I was no longer the same person,” shares Marie. “I carried with me a new hope and a promise: I wasn’t going to give up on my dreams.”
The nurses at the center didn’t just take care of her physically: they also helped her recover emotionally. Marie benefited from psychological counseling and support that gave her the strength to move forward. Today, Marie is back at school, doing extremely well in biology and chemistry. She proudly looks forward to a future where she will be able to help young girls in distress as well.
“This experience has changed me,” Marie says. “One day I’ll be a doctor, and I want to be the person who can help another girl like me. Because no one should feel helpless or hopeless.”
Local initiatives, supported by Ipas DRC and its partners, continue to transform lives. Thousands of girls like Marie receive not only care, but also the courage to dream again.
“I want all the girls to know that they are not alone,” Marie says. “No matter how bleak the situation seems, there’s always help.”
Story background: A member of Marie’s family contacted Health System Officer Dr. Michée Kanda, knowing that he works at Ipas, to connect him to Marie’s case. After referring Marie to a health facility for services, Dr. Kanda asked her permission to share her story.