Campaign Story

I am a mother of three young children, including one-year-old twins, who were taken from me and handed over to a father who abandoned us and has never supported them. I need urgent help to fight for custody and bring my babies back to safety.

My name is Okoye Chiamaka Evelyn. I am a Chinese Language Translator, A tutor, An author, and An Entrepreneur. I started working as a Chinese language translator in June 2019.

In 2021, I got married to the man my mother introduced me to, and since then, my life has been full of challenges. Before marriage, I worked at Starich Recycling Technology in Obiehie, Abia State as a translator to the HR, while also running the Nigerian Canteen in the same company. But after marriage, everything I had built started to crumble.

In the second year of my marriage, I became pregnant with twins. During this time, my husband scammed a customer in my company and ran away, which cost me my job and left me stranded. The stress pushed me into preterm labour, and I delivered my twins through CS. They spent three weeks on oxygen, and because my body could not produce milk, I had to sell everything I owned to buy infant formula.

One month later, even though I was weak, I secured a job in Abuja because I was determined to fight for my children. Sadly, I developed a severe spinal problem and lost that job too. Since then, I have tried many small businesses, including teaching Chinese online, just to keep my children alive.

Ever since my husband abandoned us, he has never sent a single contribution for the children’s upkeep. He has not asked about their wellbeing, nor has he taken any responsibility. I have been the only one shouldering all the responsibilities to keep my children alive and safe.

This month, I could not afford our house rent, so I sent my children to my mother in the village for survival while I worked on rebuilding myself. But instead of keeping them safe, my mother handed over my barely one-year-old twins and their sister who is not yet three years old to my husband, a man who has never been responsible for them, and whose actions caused me great pain during pregnancy.

Right now, I have secured a good job with another Chinese company, which is helping me get back on my feet. However, I still do not have the funds I need to legally fight for my children’s custody and provide them with a safe and stable home.

I am reaching out for help to cover legal fees, accommodation, and basic needs so I can fight for my children’s custody and bring them back to safety.

Every support, no matter how small, will go a long way to bring my children back home where they belong. Please stand with me in this fight.