Gloria’s* husband died when she was only 29, leaving her with a young daughter and a son on the way. Soon after, her late husband’s brother Amon destroyed her crops and threatened to kill her and her unborn son if she didn’t leave the land. His threats escalated, even as local clan leaders implored him to stop. 

Gloria reported the abuse to the police, who dismissed it as a “family matter” and did nothing. Amon broke into her home a second time, this time intent on killing her and her children. She only survived because one of her neighbors came to her rescue. Gloria fled her home with her children and spent years living in whatever space she could, often sleeping together on a concrete floor in a single small room.

Early in 2023, our team in Iganga heard about Gloria and took her case. They provided Gloria a place to stay and a mattress to sleep on, as well as food for her family to eat. Redeem also helped her launch a little business selling produce while the team worked with police to investigate her claims. More importantly, they partnered with police to have Amon arrested and charged for his crimes. 

In late November 2023, Amon was convicted of intermeddling, criminal trespassing, and threatening violence. Shortly after the conviction, Redeem held a restoration ceremony where hundreds of her friends, neighbors, and community leaders witnessed Gloria’s return to her land.

CEO Jesse Rudy got the opportunity to meet Gloria in January 2024. When he arrived, she and her kids were harvesting their corn. She ran all the way to the edge of her property to show him how much land she owned. She told him about all the crops she’d planted, about how her little business had grown, about how her kids were back in school, and about the house she planned to build now that her land was secure. 

*All names changed for privacy