Turning to the seemingly older girl on the group, I asked, "Where do you go to school?"
"I don't." She responded
"I don't either." the other little girl said before I even asked.
I then asked how old they were, and the older girl said 11 and the younger said 9. Surprised I asked, "Why don't you go to school?"
The older girl whose name is Veronica said, "The bible says so."
I was like...now wait-a-minute, "What? Where?"
" We don't know where, but our church pastor says so, and whatever he says, we believe and do."
I kept quiet, looked at them, thought hard and thought deep.
I said, " let's take a picture." Veronica left us and went in the house while the rest posed for the picture and I thought maybe she disliked the idea. However, she came out of the house putting on a much cleaner and better skirt than she had put on previously which looked as ragged as the last one to me.
Where is their life going? a question that kept ringing in my head.
"so, what do you do at home?"
"Play, cook , go to the garden." they replied
"what's next in your life then?" I asked
"marriage." they said
An 11 and 8 years old who are waiting for marriage, as we fight against early marriages, yet they confidently say, " God created women to take care of the home, get married, have children and take care of your husband and children."
"Do you believe this?" I asked
"We do." they responded cheerfully.
I am barely at a loss of words but this time I was.
Kids who have been convinced beyond reasonable doubt that life is what they are doing. They do not know or want to acknowledge that they were created for more. A religion, that is barring girls from being educated, members of its religion from taking part in politics, and even restricting girls on practicing most of their rights (e.g freedom of expression, dressing).
Just besides them was a 4 years old girl named Hope, whose future is as blurred as the rest.
Imagine your child being born just for housekeeping and marriage. More importantly because of a belief in a higher power, who created things to be like that. Really? Really?
What good is religion then if it cripples you?
Malawi, a country that favours literate persons.
Anyway, the family has 5 children. 4 girls and a boy. The older girl is 15 years old and we have managed to secure her a school place and provide her needs. She is in grade 8, and Yes, after talking with her parents(father in particular because the mother has no say), He disagreed and fought with us, till he sort of disowned the girl and now has nothing to do with her. 11 years old Veronica dropped out of Grade 3 while 8 years old Fatsani, went up to just 1 week of Grade 1. Hope (5), however, may never go to school ever.
Us
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