Defying forced marriage to go back to school

Defying forced marriage to go back to school

by Valine Moraa

In April 2017, a young girl aged fourteen years left her home to attend an evening prayer service at her local church. There is nothing unusual about this because in her community, evening prayer services are held on a monthly basis and it is common to see girls her age and even younger ones attend with the rest of the community members.

Once the prayer service was over at around 8:00 PM, this young girl who goes by the name Naserian (not her real name) joined a group of her friends and together they headed home. However, along the way, they were intercepted by a group of five men aged between 18 to 25 years old, who forcefully grabbed Naserian. She tried to fight to free herself from them but they overpowered her, put her on a motorbike (motorcycle) and hurriedly rode off with her. Naserian was crying and screaming her heart out for help because she knew for sure that such an act in her culture could only mean one thing; forced marriage!

Nonetheless, her cries fell on deaf ears as no one came to her rescue. At one point, her kidnappers stopped along the way and one of them defiled her while the others watched. She was later taken to a home unknown to her where she spent the night.

The next morning, news came by that Naserian’s family was looking for her. Naserian leaves with her grandparents (the parents to her mother). Her parents broke-up and went their separate ways, leaving Naserian behind at a very early age. It is her grandparents who have been fending for her needs and even tried to put her through school from the little income they make from their small scale farming. Her grandparents were now getting worried about their granddaughter whereabouts as it was unlike her to spend the night out.

They decided to look for her around the village, asking friends and neighbors if they had seen her.

The search for Naserian by her family only made matters worse, as her kidnappers decided to move her to a different location that was about hundred and thirty kilometers from her home. Naserian had been moved to the home of a relative of the man who had defiled her

and wanted her for a wife. It is this relative who reported the matter to the area chief when he realized that his nephew was holding an underage girl against her will within his property.

Naserian was rescued and taken back home to her grandparents. Her kidnapers however, managed to ran away and escaped justice.

But as if to add salt into injury, Naserian goes over the same ordeal just a day after her rescue! “My grandmother had sent me to fetch water from the local river for house hold use, when I was ambushed again by two of the men who had earlier kidnapped me. Among them was Steve, the same man who had defiled me and wanted me for his wife,” narrates Naserian who could no longer hold tears from falling down her eyes. She takes a break, wipes away the tears and continues to say: “This time, I was taken to Steve’s home where he leaves with his parents. When I got there, his family did not seem bothered by the fact that I was underage. I stayed in that home against my will for five days, having assumed all the roles of a wife.”

Fortunately, Naserian’s grandfather came to her rescue and took her to Kakenya Centre for Excellence (KCE). Her kidnapers were arrested and are currently going through the court process. Naserian received both medical and psychosocial support that was facilitated by KCE. She also took part in the April KCE Health and Leadership training and upon completion, she received a scholarship from KCE and was enrolled at a private school where she is continuing with her studies and is currently in grade six. Her favorite subjects are English and Swahili. In her free time, she likes to play football. She dreams of becoming a doctor and build a hospital to help others.

From her ordeal, Naserian has learnt that she has a right to education and that no one has the power to force her into early marriage. She hopes that she will receive justice against those who were determined to destroy her life.