My name is Grace, a 34-year-old mother of two from Mbale, Uganda. For months, my life seemed to take a turn for the worse, and I couldn’t understand why. Things that used to go smoothly suddenly became difficult. My small business started failing, I began falling sick without explanation, and even small accidents kept happening at home.

“Hatukuwahi kufikiria kama siku moja tungeweza kukaa pamoja, achilia mbali kuanzisha biashara. Mimi na Ken tulikuwa kama paka na panya tangu utotoni, kila wakati tukiwa hatuoni ‘jicho kwa jicho’,” anasema Nancy, mkazi wa Dodoma.Ndugu hawa wawili, Nancy na Ken, walikubali kwamba uhusiano wao ulikuwa umejaa migogoro na kutoelewana, hali iliyozua simanzi na hofu katika familia yao.

Biashara ni moyo wa maisha ya Maria. Mwenyeji wa Dodoma, Tanzania, Maria alijenga himaya kubwa ya kuuza vifaa vya ujenzi. Alikuwa na duka kubwa, ghala la maana, na wateja walimiminika kila siku. Kwa nje, kila kitu kilionekana kung’aa: faida kubwa, mauzo mazuri, na jina la Maria lilijulikana kote.Lakini ndani ya moyo wake, Maria alibeba mzigo mzito.”Kila wiki niliuza kwa mamilioni, lakini mwisho wa mwezi, pesa ilikuwa imepotea hewani. Akaunti yangu ilikuwa tupu! Nilihesabu tena na tena, niliweka rekodi za kisasa, niliangalia wauzaji wangu – lakini siri ilibaki kuwa siri,” Maria anasimulia kwa uchungu.