Susan is 13 years old. Her father died when she was young. She lost her mother last year to a treatable illness. Susan’s uncle took her in as his own. Soon after, he brought her to a strange man’s home whom he had made arrangements with for Susan’s marriage. She would become his second wife. “Here, women don’t sit down. They fetch water for the family, go in to the forest to collect firewood, wild vegetables, and then come home to cook,” the man’s first wife told Susan.

Later that night she fled and ran back home to her uncle in search of safety. She was immediately turned away, “I have no want nor need for you if you refuse to marry,” he told her.

She walked for four hours in the darkness, devastated and alone, until she finally reached a town. Utterly exhausted, she fell asleep under a tree.

Morning eventually came when she saw a woman brewing alcohol nearby. The woman soon learned of her situation, and encouraged Susan to go to a safe place she’d heard of called St Bakhita Girls’ Primary School. The very next day, the kind stranger arranged Susan’s transportation to the school.

There, Susan was welcomed with open arms. She found comfort among girls who dressed like her and spoke her language. Today, she lives on campus year-round as one of more than 70 forced marriage survivors who have found safety at St. Bakhita.