For Margaret Namatovu, a 33-year-old woman from Mukono, Uganda, marriage was meant to bring joy, love, and eventually children. But for more than six years, her home was filled with tears instead of laughter, as she and her husband battled the pain of childlessness.
“In our culture, a woman without children is seen as incomplete,” Namatovu recalls. “People mocked me, and each month when my period came, I cried in silence.”
Margaret and her husband visited hospitals across Kampala and Mukono. Doctors ran tests, prescribed medication, and urged patience. Still, the years passed with no pregnancy.
Meanwhile, her friends who had married later were already raising families. Some even mocked her, whispering that she was cursed. At home, tension grew. Her husband’s family questioned her worth, and at one point, their marriage nearly broke apart.
“I prayed, I fasted, and I begged God for a miracle. I was ready to try anything,” she says.
Just when divorce seemed inevitable, Namatovu learned of a fertility support program introduced at a local clinic in Mukono. The program combined medical guidance with emotional support for couples struggling with infertility.
Through it, she discovered that her problem was linked to blocked fallopian tubes and hormonal imbalance—something treatable. She was placed on a short treatment plan and advised on nutrition and lifestyle changes that could improve her chances.
Within a week of completing the program, Margaret received the news she had been waiting for: she was pregnant.
“When I saw the positive test, I fell on my knees and thanked God. My husband wept tears of joy. It was like a heavy cloud had lifted from our marriage,” she recalls.
Their relationship, once on the brink of collapse, was restored. Friends and family who had doubted her celebrated with her.
Margaret now shares her story to encourage other women struggling with childlessness.
“To any woman who feels hopeless, don’t give up. Seek help, don’t suffer in silence, and remember that your value is not defined by what people say,” she says.
Her testimony highlights the silent pain many women in Uganda face, where infertility often carries stigma and shame. Yet, with awareness, medical support, and community acceptance, thousands of couples can be given a second chance at happiness—just like Namatovu and her husband.
