Pop star Jamelia visited Uganda with ActionAid to meet some of the inspiring women we work with. In Part 2 of our interview with she talks about her trip and the stories of the women she met.

What was it like meeting 6 Degrees inspiration Hajara?

Jamelia: Meeting Hajara was a humbling experience for me. Living in the western world, I feel that I am very opinionated on prostitution, you know I never thought I would ever meet someone who could make me understand why they went into that line of work. Meeting with Hajara really opened my eyes to the situation these women are in.

Knowing she was a commercial sex worker, I wouldn't say I was closed minded, but i definitely didn't think i would feel compassion for her or be on her side. But after meeting her I totally was. I admired her strength and spirit. One of the things I had in common with her...to me the message was 'i would do anything to save my children'. To me, I can totally understand that... She is doing this out of necessity, and making moves to get out of it. The thing that touched me was that even though she is not out of her situation, she's still helping other people.

In a situation where I would feel at my lowest ebb at the absolute bottom, she still finds it in herself to help other people. That to me is so inspiring, so moving and I really want to see her fulfil her dreams and make her ambition a reality. Meeting her lovely children, they were adorable...didn't want to leave them. I really want to come back in a years time and see where her story is, to see that she and her children have progressed.

It's the individual stories that make me even more committed to the ActionAid projects, even more committed to the work they do and the difference that can be made. I would love to see her children in school, her doing her tailoring or hairdressing business. I think she's a fantastic woman, it was great to meet her.

What did you expect from your trip?

J:  I expected to see and meet some very interesting people. I expected to hear some harrowing stories. I think what i witnessed yesterday was beyond my expectations. Some of the stories which i heard were unimaginable to me, i found it really surprising that these people were still standing and being so positive.

How did you feel when you met the women?

J: I would say that, one of the things that surprised me was that with every woman I met i had something in common with and i think it really does hit home that we are connected in some way. We should never forget that and take our responsibility with one and other very seriously. Meeting all them i would say that their resilience and strength was so inspiring and it was fantastic to meet all of them and be invited into their home and community.

Was there anything that particularly stood out for you?

J: Apart from being made to dance, i would say the main things i got from the experience was their strength. i think that is universal with women. We all have this innate strength, no matter what we've been through, no matter what we go through, we find it in ourselves to carry on  and be the best for ourselves and our children.It kind of restored my faith in resilience and being brave, and not being afraid of tapping into your strength. I'd say that's something I've taken away from going to the projects.

Another thing that really touched me was that a lot of these women had been through some horrific experiences and still had the strength to help others. This yearning to change someone else's life. The aftermath wasn't centralised to them, they were thinking of others. For me, it was really eye opening and definitely inspiring and a fantastic thing to experience.'

Such as Sara, who i met yesterday, who had been raped at 8 years old. She had been outcast for catching a disease as a result of that rape. This is a situation that would never happen in the Western world. In Uganda, it does happen, it happens quite regularly. ActionAid are decreasing the likelihood of these problems happening again, that's why I am so committed to helping make that change and raise awareness, and I want everyone else to get involved too.