Every Girl-child deserves an education!

I understand some of us don't really understand or have refused to understand what child marriage really means. Well, this is what it looks like in a 'nutshell'

FATIMA’S BIRTHDAY PRESENT

It was my birthday and I let anyone who cared to listen know that I, Fatima, is no longer a kid. I am 13yrs old. I'm so going to let Aisha know that we are no longer mates as her birthday comes up in a few months. My dad had promised me a big birthday present and that had caused me to wake up very early.

I had told a lot of people of my thirteenth birthday but they were really surprised I was only thirteen, they said I looked fifteen. I dressed up to go and see Aisha so that I could obtain permission from her father for her to be with me on my birthday I went and her father after wishing me a happy birthday allowed Aisha to come with me.

On returning home, I couldn't help but notice that the house was unusually quiet. My Mother, Father and Alhaji Musa that always buys meat for me were at a corner having a discussion. I like Alhaji Musa, he always bought things for me and he calls me his wife. I see the three of them talking in hushed tones, but I over-heard Alhaji saying that HE WOULD NOT TOUCH HER UNTIL SHE BECOMES OF “FULL AGE”. Who was “her”? I wondered. Well, I never wanted any interruption to my big day, so I decided not to disturb them as I sneaked into the room with Aisha to talk about my birthday.

Minutes later, I heard my mum, “Fatima!!” she called out to me. I ran to meet her. She motioned to me to sit on the mat close to her. She looked sad, she looked downcast, “Is someone dead?” I asked,
"Fatima! Allah knows best" she started and I swallowed hard. I don't like the intro, she will definitely break some bad news to me.

"Errrmm.... You know Alhaji Musa?" she inquires. "Of course mother, I know him, is he ill?" I asked, feeling sorry for him.

"Fatima, you are going to live with him tomorrow as his wife" my mother said in-between sobs and tears.
"What? Mother, what about school?" I cried.

"Alhaji has been the one paying your fees and if he stops, you can't continue and we can't begin paying him back for all the clothes, meat and other gifts he has given us", mother tried reasoning with me, but it wasn't enough.

So I am no longer going to be a doctor? I thought to myself. I'm only going to be a house-wife like my mother? I thought I had already planned out my life? Is this a dream? If my mother could sell me out, who do I run to for solace? Allah, please help me, I am your daughter please, I am just thirteen, what do I know about being a wife? I could barely contain my tears.

Then came my Father, he walked in looking as stern as always and ordered me to go and pack my things and sleep, as I was leaving the house tomorrow. He had sent Aisha home, to enable me prepare for my big day tomorrow.

"Father, what of the big present you promised me?" I sobbed.
"This is it" he says without emotions "Do you know how big the gift of marriage is? Alhaji is rich and is a good man, you will lack nothing as his wife".
"But father, I don't want to go"
"What did you call me?" He asked sharply,
"Father" I replied bowing my head
He then continued, "You see? That means I know what's best for you. Will I as your father give poison to you?" He asked again.
I shook my head slowly,,,

"Good, case closed”, he concluded. “If I hear any protest from you, I’ll make sure you regret it" he threatened.

This is slavery, I don't even have a say in my life? How can I be forced to live with someone I don't want to live with? My hatred for Alhaji Musa began to grow. I wished he would die and spare me of all these. It went dark and mother came into the room and counselled me, assuring me that the Alhaji had promised not to touch me until I'm 18 at least. She tells me how to be a good and respectful wife. How to speak to him and show respect. My life has changed so drastically, from a child to a wife. From tomorrow, I would stop mingling and playing with other children, that would be the end of my childhood. I had to start acting like my mother. I cried and cried and didn't know when I slept off.

The next day, a few ceremonies were performed and I was sent to go and live with "my husband". Oh Allah!! how am I ever going to survive this? I prayed. We got to his house, Alhaji's house was bigger than my father's. I was led to a room where I stayed till it grew dark. I was made to understand that this room is going to be mine and that is where I would entertain Alhaji. Entertain him? How?

I couldn't stop myself from crying, I kept crying because I missed my mother. I missed Aisha and my other friends. Aisha would be free by now, running around with other friends while I'm here a wife to an old man. They brought food but I refused to eat. How can I eat when I am a prisoner? I would never eat, no food would pass my stomach and maybe Alhaji Musa will see that am starving and know that I don't like him and will send me home.

But I was wrong. Just as I was thinking this, the curtain moved and there was the devil, Alhaji Musa. He walked closed to me as I scurried to stand up and pay my respects. He was looking at me intensely like he was examining me. I was uncomfortable, he touched my breasts and muttered something to himself. I was scared as I looked to the floor. I just couldn't look at him.

"Remove your clothes" his hoarse voice rang out in that quiet night, causing me to shiver. I obeyed but removed it slowly. Mother said I should obey him no matter what he asked me to do. My slow response seemed to anger him as he took me in his arms and tore my clothes into shreds. I screamed but he seemed not to notice. He sniffed my hair down to my stomach and he pushed me to the mat.
This was not what mother told me, I questioned quietly, I started screaming very loud in confusion and I am sure his other wives heard me but nobody came to my rescue. "Please Alhaji, please let me go home please" I begged. "Please let me go and Allah will forgive you".

This amused him as he laughed and said, "Forgive me? You're my wife and I can do what I please with you".

Was this what marriage was all about? Being treated this way? “Please someone should help me”, I cried within myself.

Then the big shock; I felt something very hard, probing my privates and I began screaming really hard, the more I screamed, the more the pressure on my privates increased till it felt like my thighs were splitting in half. The pain was unbearable, my screams could be likened to that of a goat about to be slaughtered. This went on for minutes after which he stood up to leave. I laid there paralysed. My legs lost its sensitivity, It felt numb. I used the lamp to check myself as I saw blood stains everywhere. I started sobbing as I feared he must have seriously damaged something. I decided to keep lying down to see if the pains will reduce but Alhaji walked in again and grabbed me again.

“Oh my God!!!” I began begging again, "Alhaji, please you have wounded me, please let me go please". He looked at me with scorn and said, "When your parents were collecting school fees and meat and other gifts from me, did they tell you they didn't know you were going to pay for it this way?" He started again by probing me with his hard member and this time harder. I screamed and screamed till I passed out.

I later woke to a burning and aching thighs. His other wives were attending to me. Is this the kind of life I am doomed to live forever? I wondered in despair. If I was to stay for two years or even ten, I'd gladly stay knowing it would end but to stay here till death? The only way out was to hasten death, I can't live here, I'm suffocating, I reasoned to myself.

At this time, an idea came to my mind, I excused myself as I went to look for a ladder and on finding it, I climbed up to the roof of the house with it. It was really high, everyone looked so small even the almighty Alhaji that abused me mercilessly looked so small from this height. I could see him eating breakfast on his mat outside. I smiled to myself, "It's Over !!!"

I dived down head first to the ground. I landed with a very loud thud. I could feel the excruciating, yet comforting pains, I could hear the sound of my bones as they cracked. With my final breath, I could see the horror on their faces, The most consoling was the one I saw on the Alhaji's face as they ran to rescue me. I'm dead now, let me see how Alhaji would rape me again.

Death to me was now a better option. I tried smiling but the pain will not let me. I closed my eyes and embraced death with open arms, death was far kinder than the Alhaji.

This is MY STORY.

SAY NO TO CHILD ABUSE!!! A Child should not be a Bride!!

Now imagine if Fatima were your Daughter, Niece, Cousin or a Friend’s daughter. This is happening everyday as we speak and will be more so if we don’t rise up against it.

“Our Daughters need an Education not an Ejaculation''