Chinese Men Working in Africa Reportedly Get Ugandan Women Pregnant and Then Abandon Them

Ugandan women are being left with babies fathered by Chinese men who had been working on infrastructure projects in the African nation.

The women, often from poor families, are now demanding compensation to cover costs of raising their babies, according to The Washington Times.

One of them is 26-year-old Esther Musisi, who told the outlet how much she trusted the father of her one-year-old daughter.

“I trusted him with all my heart.

“I can’t believe what he did to me. He promised me that he was going to China for a month and would come back so that we can take care of our baby together. I was six months pregnant when he left the country.”

Another is 20-year-old Jacqueline Adero, who met a Chinese man named Yahang while she was looking for a job in 2015. She was five months pregnant when he abandoned her.

Chinese companies have been investing in Uganda’s infrastructure in recent years. This led to the deployment of some 50,000 Chinese workers tasked to build projects.

James Okumu, a tribal chief in the district of Kiryandongo, knows at least 50 children fathered by Chinese men who worked at the Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station, set to be the largest power-generating installation in the country.

Speaking to the Washington Times, Okumu blamed poverty as the root of false hopes:

“Poverty is the problem. The Chinese are taking advantage of the situation to spoil our girls because they know our girls need money to take care of their poor families.