For many years, Scovia Keliki, a widowed mother from Vurra Sub-county in Arua District, struggled to raise her daughter single-handedly. Determined to ensure her child received an education, she took on odd jobs, including washing clothes, fetching water, and collecting firewood to earn money for school fees.

Her world was shattered when she found out that her 14‑year‑old daughter, Mercy (names changed), was pregnant.

Overwhelmed by anger and disappointment, Scovia chased her daughter out of their home.

“I was in pain and didn’t want to see her,” Scovia recalls tearfully. “I kept quarrelling with her and insulting her for being ungrateful, for not recognising all the sacrifices I had made.”

To add insult to injury, the father of her baby had fled the village, worsening Mercy’s already dire situation.

A chance encounter would later change the course of their lives. While Mercy attended an antenatal visit at Bondo Health Centre IV, she met Jovia, a peer educator trained by the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD).

“When I met her, she had been sent away from home,” Jovia explains. “I asked for her mother’s contact, reached out, and convinced her to come to the hospital so we could talk.”

Jovia counselled Scovia, assuring her that pregnancy did not signal the end of her daughter’s future. She facilitated conversations between mother and daughter to repair their fractured relationship.

Although Scovia eventually allowed Mercy back into the home, healing did not come immediately. Lingering anger continuously led to frequent quarrels, leaving Mercy feeling isolated and rejected.

Dejected and alone, she fell into depression and attempted to take her own life. She survived narrowly.

Jovia and the team of peer educators continued their support, conducting regular follow-ups and counselling sessions with both mother and daughter.

“It took many phone calls and meetings to get them to sit together and talk,” Jovia says. “Sometimes I would speak to Scovia for hours, encouraging her to find forgiveness in her heart.”

Gradually, the constant engagement began to bear fruit.

“I was finally able to forgive her,” Scovia says. “I am grateful to the peer educators, especially Jovia. Without them, my daughter would not be here today.”

Through consistent counselling and support, Scovia has regained hope and a renewed sense of purpose. Though the pain has not completely disappeared, she is determined to support Mercy 

“I will wait for her to give birth,” Scovia says resolutely. “I will take care of her baby and make sure she returns to school.”

Under the StandUP for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) project funded by Global Affairs Canada, CEHURD has trained 18 peer educators in Arua City to educate fellow youth on SRHR, reduce stigma and harmful norms and link young people to youth‑friendly services.

The project is implemented under a consortium led by Oxfam, which also includes CEHURD, Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) and Femme Forte, in the 6 districts of Mayuge, Namayingo, Arua, Nebbi, Madi Okollo, and Arua in both Eastern Uganda and West Nile. The project seeks to increase enjoyment of SRHR among the most marginalised and vulnerable right-holders, especially adolescent girls and young women.