But she needn’t have worried. Leila didn’t lose her friendship. The two agreed to draw a line under the embarrassing episode.

She was brought up by strict parents in a suburban neighbourhood of Bujumbura. She and her siblings had to be home earlier than their friends. Niya had to dress conservatively and was expected to act in a demure way. I wasn’t into it,” she says, “I thought maybe it was because the guy wasn’t cute. So I dumped him and started dating a cute guy.” According to Internet World Stats only 4.4% of Burundi’s 11 million-strong population have access to the internet, and almost all of them are based in Bujumbura. As a woman from a country like hers, Nella says her rights were already diminished. And as one of the 2% of Muslims in a majority Christian nation, she felt even more marginalised. Tourists from neighbouring Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo can be found enjoying the nightlife in the clubs or the five-star hotel bars.They knew of a rich man who was interested in her. There was little time to lose, they insisted. At 20 she was getting on a bit. They could be fined or imprisoned. But there is also the danger that people within their own communities may turn on them. Initially her mother took it badly. But as the days passed she began to ask more questions. Leila’s father was more supportive than she expected. They could protect her while she was in the family home, but they could not guarantee her safety outside if the wrong people found out. It largely relies on internet shorthand, obscure symbols used by lesbians around the world. Nella would send these images and emoticons to other women. Those in the know would respond.

Leila, Niya, Nella and their friends would often meet at these places. But listening to each other’s life stories led to a sombre realisation. Kelly’s enjoying her first year at college, and a big part of that is her beautiful roommate Tina. They love being friends, and they tell each other everything. Well…not everything. Kelly has a crush on a boy and keeps it to herself. That’s too bad because she comes home one night and accidentally walks in on Tina and the boy right in the middle of a b*****b! When she talks to Tina about it, her roommate decides to cheer Kelly up…with a scorching first lesbian sex experience! She had looked up YouTube videos of lesbian vloggers in other parts of the world. She watched films featuring same-sex couples and read a lot of reports on lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) communities. She began to understand the language of the internet. Her next step was to explain to her mother that it wasn’t a phase - a hetrosexual life was not for her. At 22, she met a woman who was also in her early 20s, through mutual friends. Bonding over their love of music, they formed a fast friendship.

No Results

When her parents died, Nella's brothers increased the pressure. There was no money for an education, they said, and besides they didn't believe a woman needed one.