My name is Jennifer Kemisha: Vocational training gave me hope for a better future.

As the chores and responsibilities at home increased, my dreams began to feel more distant. I had to dig on the farm and complete all the housework during school hours. No matter how much I did, my mother and brother said it was not enough. They responded with shouting and physical punishment, and I felt unappreciated, unhappy, and hopeless. 

I began missing lessons, my assignments piled up, and my performance in school declined. I started to lose hope that I could keep up with my classmates and friends, and eventually I dropped out of school. Feeling unloved at home, I began to believe that being in a relationship might give me the affection and support I was missing. 

Desperate for a way out, I became rebellious and stopped listening to my mother. I got a boyfriend, and when my mother found us together, she beat me and sent me to his house. Later, my brother asked me to come back, but when I returned, I was beaten so badly that I could barely understand what was happening. After I recovered, they told me to go back to my boyfriend’s house, and that is how I ended up staying with his family. In my culture, this meant I was already considered married to him. 

At first, I thought living with my boyfriend would solve the problems I faced at home and give me a chance to return to school. Instead, it became another difficult chapter in my life. I later realized that life in my husband’s house was even harder because of the way I was treated, and I felt my hope slipping away again. 

One day, while I was at home, a friend who was going to school told me about the Women for Women International’s adolescent girl’s program. She said registration was taking place at a nearby church. I did not think twice. I ran to the church and registered myself because I saw it as a second chance to change my life. 

I enrolled in vocational skills training, which gave me the opportunity to learn practical skills that could help me become more independent and earn a livelihood. The trainers and other girls supported me and taught me how to manage stress. They helped me realize that, even when I face challenges, I can still change my life. The monthly stipend from the program helped me buy basic needs, and I started saving through the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) so I can start a bakery business after I graduate from the program. 

Instead of seeing myself as a failure, I began to see myself as a young woman with skills, choices, and responsibilities.

I thought my life was over when I could no longer continue with school, but now I know I can still learn, grow, and build a future for myself. The program, trainers, and my classmates gave me hope to keep pushing forward and become successful. 

Just as I was beginning to see hope in my life again, my husband and mother-in-law made it difficult for me to attend my training. Whenever I prepared for class, they tried to stop me, and their restrictions caused me to miss several sessions. They also discouraged me from having friends, saying the girls were trying to convince me to run away from the marriage. Over time, I felt isolated and unsafe, but I did not want to lose the opportunity I had found. I eventually returned to my mother’s house so I could be safe, regain my freedom, and continue my training with hope for a better future. 

This time my family took me back, and I continued attending my classes. The program has given me more than vocational skills; it has given me a safe space to learn, connect with other adolescent girls, and begin believing in myself again.

Today, I feel hopeful about my future. I want to complete my training, start a small business, and continue building the life I once thought I had lost.

My dream is still alive, and I believe I can become independent, support myself, and inspire other girls to believe that their futures are not over.