This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On a fateful day in October 2011, Hanifa's life took a drastic turn. She had been married to her husband for seven years and had two children with him. However, their marriage was marked by control and abuse, with her husband wanting her to be a stay-at-home mum and take care of their children.
But Hanifa was ambitious, learned, and wanted to be independent. She said,
"I couldn’t stand the arrangement. I was ambitious, learned and I wanted to be independent,"
and she eventually settled for a divorce.
After the divorce, Hanifa's ex-husband became increasingly controlling and abusive. He did not want her to study, work, or have opinions that contradicted his. Hanifa recounts,
"I fled the marriage. I divorced him as he was also very controlling and abusive. He did not want me to study or work or have opinions that contradicted his,"
and she left her children under the care of their father as she sought refuge at her brother's home in Kampala.
Three months after walking out of the marriage, Hanifa's ex-husband called her to visit their children. She went to his home, but no one answered the door. A young man she did not know appeared and threw something at her face. Hanifa recalled,
"On contact, my face felt cold. But in seconds, I felt a burning sensation, as if I was thrown in a pool of fire,"
and she was left severely disfigured.
Witnesses begged her husband to take her to a hospital, but he said he couldn't find his car keys. A neighbour rushed her to the nearest hospital, where she received first aid and survived the attack. However, Hanifa's injuries were severe, and she had to undergo months of reconstructive surgery.
It took more than five years and 28 reconstructive surgeries for Hanifa's lips to painlessly curve. She does not smile lightly, but she is adamant about one thing: she will make her scars stars. Hanifa is currently an advocate for acid attack survivors and has formed CERESAV organization to support the reintegration of survivors into accepting communities.
