Why a 13-year-old is one of the strongest women I know.
Today is International Women’s Day—a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Many influential women may come to our minds when we think of the word “achievements”—political leaders, women of faith, business leaders, CEOs, teachers, even our moms or other mom-like figures in our life. I can think of a few great women, but today, the woman that comes to mind is a 13-year-old girl named Stella that I met in 2016. The strongest 13-year-old I know.
Taking Advantage Of Innocence
In 2016, I went to Uganda, Africa with Freedom 4/24, and I met a pregnant 13-year-old who was weeks away from giving birth to her child—the child of her abuser. Stella was 12 years old when someone took advantage of her vulnerabilities. Her mother was mentally ill and her father was not present in her life. For about a month, every day on her way to and from school, she was raped by a classmate. The innocence of a child stolen over and over again—it’s hard to comprehend, it’s evil, it doesn’t make sense. Taken advantage of and exploited, Stella became pregnant.
If you are willing, take a moment to make this story more personal. Could Stella be your daughter, your sister, your friend, yourself? I can’t imagine the scars, physical and emotional, that she carried during that time. I can’t imagine the lies she believed about herself—that she was worth nothing more than what a man wanted from her sexually, that her mother and father did not care about her life, that she might as well not exist because life ahead was not something to look forward to.
On top of that, because of her pregnancy and the extent of her trauma, Stella had no choice but to drop out of school. Uneducated women do not have a bright future in Uganda and are more vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, and forced early marriage. Stella, not knowing what to do or where to go, was found by Christine’s House, Freedom 4/24’s partner in Uganda.
Lifeless and Lightless
Girls her age should be having slumber parties and laughing together, yet Stella was having a child in less than a month.
I remember seeing Stella for the first time at Christine’s House. She had only been there for a few months, and when I looked in her eyes, I saw a lifeless young girl. It broke my heart—I had never seen someone so dead inside. Girls her age should be having slumber parties and laughing together, yet Stella was having a child in less than a month. When I talked to her, her words were short, and she didn’t look me in the eyes, but when asked about her baby, she couldn’t even formulate words—tears would stream down her face. If I were in her place, I wouldn’t want to believe or think about the coming month either.
Hope in the Darkest of Nights
Years later, after giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, Stella is still a teenager, but one of the strongest teenagers I know. She is a mom, she laughs and has life in her eyes—her soul. She has experienced the darkest of nights, yet held on to hope. Stella has Jesus as her Savior, and although her past will not change, she has made the most of her life right now; she is filled with joy that only comes from a loving Father.
Strength to The Weary
The strongest women I know have lived through the winter seasons of their soul and made it to spring. The strongest women I know have replaced lies of self-doubt and unworthiness with the Truth. The strongest women I know are not strong because of what they have accomplished, but rather what they have allowed the Creator to accomplish through them. Stella doesn’t have a certain amount of followers on social media, she isn’t making 6 figures, she isn’t a CEO or whatever we so commonly define as “accomplished” women—but she is courageous, gracious, kind, and strong. She is a woman I admire, and will always admire not for what she achieved but for who she is and what she has overcome.
So, today, let’s honor women all over the world. To the women who are leading in business, politics, or ministry, thank you for never giving up. For the moms who are raising world changers, thank you for never giving up. For the students who don’t know what the future looks like, don’t give up. And to the women who are living in darkness, you are not alone. Despite the scars you wear daily, God has a plan for your life.
From our team of women at Freedom 4/24 to you, let’s change the world together.
Learn more about Stella’s story:
Jaclyn Blackford is the Director of Communications and Marketing at Freedom 4/24. She has followed the work of Freedom 4/24 since high school and moved to Lynchburg from Florida in 2015, interned with Freedom 4/24 2016, and started her current role in 2019. Outside of work, Jaclyn enjoys eating ice cream, watching movies, and being outside with her best friend and husband, Taylor.