Thanks to her prosthetic limb, Justine is moving forward

Justine Riziki is a 31-year-old mother of four. After fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo with her husband Janvier, she found refuge in Uganda. She now lives in the Kyaka II refugee settlement in the south-west of the country. After a few years in Uganda, Justine and her husband – both amputees – met HI and, thanks to the Liimba project, the young woman received a new prosthesis. Today, she balances family life and her work as a shoemaker while also volunteering with HI, using her experience to support and encourage other people with disabilities in her community.

Building a life in the face of violence

At just 18 years old, Justine's life changed forever when a road accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo, her home country, resulted in the amputation of her left leg. After months of treatment and rehabilitation, she received her first prosthetic limb, allowing her to regain mobility and begin rebuilding her life. Her husband, Janvier, also lives with an amputation after sustaining a gunshot injury during violence in their village. Following his recovery, he too received a prosthesis that helped him regain his independence.

In 2019, further attacks took place in their village. Faced with this violence, the young couple were forced to leave their home and loved ones and flee to neighboring Uganda in the hope of saving their lives and that of their young son. On arrival, they found refuge in the Kyaka refugee settlement in the south of the country. As people with disabilities, life in this new environment was particularly challenging for Justine and her husband:

“Honestly, at first, life wasn’t easy for us here… But we were there for each other; we promised to support one another and to be strong for our son, who was four at the time,” says Justine, visibly moved.

Showing courage and great resilience, the couple did not give up. They were able to rely on financial assistance from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and, by cultivating the small plot of land they had been allocated, Justine and her husband enabled their family to survive.

Meeting HI: a turning point towards a new life

Reuse and 3D printing: a solution to provide prosthetics to as many people as possible

Over time, Justine and her husband settled in the Kyaka camp and their prosthetic limbs wore out, making it harder for them to get around and go about their daily lives. They reached out to various humanitarian organizations, but none were able to replace their prosthetic limbs. It was in 2021 that Justine was referred to HI and learnt that the organization was providing support to people with disabilities in the camp. At the time, when the couple met with HI’s teams, the organization’s current activities did not allow them to provide new prosthetics, and they were advised to use crutches. This worked for Janvier, but for Justine it posed a problem: in the meantime, the family had grown; Justine had a baby to look after, and it was virtually impossible for her to carry him while using crutches…

Aware of her situation, the HI physical therapist referred her to another HI project: the Liimba project. HI then arranged for Justine to be assessed in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Thanks to this process, Justine was able to receive a new prosthesis, which enabled her to regain her mobility and helped her to look after her baby safely.

“Not only have I regained my mobility, but I am now able to provide for my family. I’m working and, thanks to my salary, my husband and I have been able to open a small cobbler’s workshop. We are truly grateful to the HI staff for giving us back our hope,” Justine concludes enthusiastically.

Spreading solidarity within her community

And Justine’s journey did not end there: the young woman has stayed in touch with HI and is now a volunteer for the organization. This has given her the opportunity to undertake various rehabilitation training courses, and she has become a valuable resource for her community, supporting other people with disabilities in Kyaka by providing them with basic rehabilitation services and hope.