Zimbabwe:Raped and rejected

My name is Nobuhle* I am 21 years old. I was born in the communal lands of Nkayi. I went to school up to grade 6 and stopped because my father passed away at that stage. When my father passed away the responsibility of taking care of me and my young sister fell on my mother and she could not have the capacity to do so.

After dropping out of school I started working to help my mother to fend for the family. Unfortunately, tragedy fell when I was raped by a certain man from our village. The case was not reported because I was very young to fully understand what had happened and those around me could not believe me and they regarded it as a consensual act. After the rape incident I fell pregnant and my mother chased me away from home. The day I was chased away from home I had nowhere to go and I spend the night in the forest. The next morning I left the village and I went to stay with my sister.

I stayed with my sister while she was taking care of me until I gave birth. My sister asked me to leave and she stated that she is no longer able to take care of me and my baby. While I was still preparing to leave the man who forcibly slept with me and impregnated me phoned and asked me to bring his son. I packed my things and left for Bulawayo where he was now staying. When I arrived in Bulawayo at his place I showed him the baby and when he realized that the baby was physically challenged he said that its not his baby because he will never give birth to a physically challenged baby. He immediately chased me away.

It was my first time being in Bulawayo and I had nowhere to. My baby fell ill and I went with him to the hospital. My baby was affected with cerebral pulse during birth and he needs special attention. At the hospital the doctors prescribed vitamin tablets for him as they cited malnutrition as the main reason why my baby was not developing physically regardless of his condition. With my economic status, I cannot afford to pay specialist treatment needed by my son and I tried to convince the father to do so to no avail.

I reported the case to the police so that they could help me but the police referred me to Musasa Shelter so that they will help me to apply for maintenance. I successfully applied for maintenance and the case is still pending. Currently, I am in an urgent need for money to take my son to the hospital for medication. My mother is asking me to return home but I want to finalize this issue first before I go back home.