the dramatic story of a 39-year-old woman who fights alone to support her 38 children

However, three years ago, this 39-year-old Ugandan woman was abandoned by her husband, who left her alone with her 38 children.

It was only the last setback of a tragic life for Nabatanzi, who lives with her children in four narrow houses made of cement blocks and a corrugated tin roof in a village surrounded by coffee fields at 50 km. North Kampala

After the birth of her first twins, Nabatanzi consulted a doctor who told her that her ovaries were unusually large. He then recommended not to use contraceptives, such as pills, as they could cause health problems. So the kids kept coming.

The size of families in Africa is great. In Uganda, the average fertility rate is 5.6 children per woman, one of the highest in the continent and more than twice the global average of 2.4 children., according to the World Bank.

But even in Uganda, the size of Nabatanzi's family makes it an atypical extreme.

Her last pregnancy, two and a half years ago, had complications. It was his sixth pair of twins and one of them died in childbirth, the sixth child who died.

Then her husband, often absent for several periods, abandons him. His name is now a familiar curse. Nabatanzi refers to him using an expletive.

"I grew up crying, my man caused me a lot of suffering," said the woman during an interview at his home, hands clasped and eyes full of tears. "All my life, I took care of my children and worked to earn money," he added.

Desperate, Nabatanzi did it all: hairstyling, decorating events, collecting and selling scrap metal, making local gin and selling medicinal herbs. The money is used for food, health care, clothing and school fees.

Nabatanzi's greatest desire is for his children to be happy. "I started having adult responsibilities from a very young age, I have not had any joy, I think, since my birth," he concluded.

By Elias Biryabarema, Reuters news agency