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Tendai Rupapa in MASHONALAND WEST
FIRST LADY Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday held a first of its kind heart-to-heart talk with survivors of early child marriages aged between 14 and 17, and their families as she spearheads efforts to end the scourge which has caused many challenges and dis-empowered the girl child.
So relaxed was the session, which was held over a cup of tea, that the children were free to open up on their experiences.
The mother of the nation, who pledged to assist hundreds of the young women from all the districts in the province to start projects and go back to school, implored them to reform.
She will take the campaign to all the country’s 10 provinces.
“I am happy my children that you have come to talk with me. Today I want you to start a new life and go back to school or start projects. There is still time to turn a new leaf. I want to know whether you eloped to men alone or you were coerced by your parents? We want to go forward and ensure you have better lives through discussing and working together.
“Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. I will see how best to help you. Some want projects while others are aiming to go back to school,” she said.
Amai Mnangagwa has a passion for the empowerment of the girl child and the survivors gave heart-rending accounts of what transpired and expressed zeal to turn a new leaf.
One of the girls aged 16 and heavily pregnant, said challenges started when her mother passed on while she was two-years-old, and her father remarried.
“Sadly, I was being ill-treated by my stepmother and my father would take her side. In 2014, I developed a severe headache and when I told them, I was accused of being pregnant. I told them at the time that I was not dating boys.
“I was later tested for HIV and came out positive. It was, however, discovered that I was born positive. When I went to fetch water one day and delayed in coming back, my father and his wife chased me from home.
“I then started living with my grandmother before I fell pregnant mid-last year and the boy denied paternity. He was aware of my status, I had disclosed to him and said it did not a matter, but I was surprised when he denied paternity,” she said.
Another survivor, a 17-year-old girl, said she has gone back to school so as to enhance her chances of leading a better life.
She got pregnant last year while in Form Four and was taken to the 22-year-old boy’s family, but in two months, two other pregnant girls eloped to the same boy.
He then allegedly left for Harare to look for a job and has never returned, and her mother took her back after giving birth.
Since her father swore never to see her, she is staying with her grandmother. She elected to go back to school and has passed five O’ Level subjects and supplemented Mathematics, whose results are not yet out.
A 16-year-old mother who fell pregnant at 15, said she was looking forward to going back to school and thanked the First Lady for coming to her rescue.
She said when she eloped, her husband paid US$20 as a token to notify her family that they were staying together.
But the marriage did not last.
Her mother gave her side of the story and blamed herself for accepting a token from the boy’s family when the incident occurred.
“My husband died some years ago hence I received the money. I later took back my child because the way she was living was deplorable and I wanted her to continue with her education. I did know that a child below 18 cannot be married off.
“I am asking for forgiveness and I have learnt a lot from Amai’s wise words,” she said.
Another girl who fell pregnant at 16 and is yet to give birth said she ended her education in Grade Seven.
She fell pregnant at 16 and the responsible guy asked her to abort saying he was “not prepared to be a father and blocked me on his phone”.
The girl refused to abort, fearing for her life.
Haunted by his twin daughters’ predicament, a Banket man shared an intriguing story.
“I have twin daughters who were both impregnated while in Form Four. I had paid the examination fees, but they were impregnated during the lockdown period when everyone was at home due to Covid-19.
“The children were impregnated while going for extra lessons and they eloped. I later took them back after seeing they were suffering. I am unemployed and survive on menial jobs. I had hoped they would pass and assist me, but now I am looking after grandchildren and the mothers.
“I asked them if they needed to go back to school, but they are refusing. The two men who impregnated these children at 16, were friends and both married. One of the men paid $10 tsvakirai kuno,” he said, while wiping sweat from his forehead.
A visit to an apostolic sect shrine turned into a nightmare for one of the girls, who was drugged and raped by the “prophet” and fell pregnant.
The prophet disappeared and the girl now stays with her mother and stepfather.
It emerged that the prophet had impregnated four other girls using the same trick.
After discussions with the girls, the First Lady proceeded to Banket Sports club where she addressed the community together with the survivors.
The session, which had an overflow of people who sought to tap into the First Lady’s teachings, was held in strict observance of World Health Organisation protocols on Covid-19 prevention which included masking up, washing hands and social distancing.
“I have come here because of early child marriages which are rife in this area. I formed Angel of Hope Foundation with the aim of assisting mostly the girl child. The children I met this morning gave their harrowing accounts and I was pained.
“I have faith that if given a second chance, they will succeed in life. The Government allows children to go back to school after giving birth. During the Covid-19 induced lockdown, children started engaging in mischief and that is why I am running around with the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme so that they may embrace the teachings,” she said.
According to statistics, 421 girls in Mashonaland West province were victims of child marriages last year. The Department of Social Welfare rescued 181 of them so they could go back to school but some would not leave their husbands. “One of the victims gave birth at 13 years which shows just how bad the situation has become. We want children to treasure their virginity and education because sex brings forth many challenges,” she said.
She asked the gathering the disadvantages of early sexual relations and the responses she got included diseases, unwanted pregnancies and dropping out of school, among many others.
“We have taken down the contacts of these children and what they want to do in life so that we will see how best to help them. I am happy the children have agreed to start afresh and that is why I came with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development who also assist with skills and projects.
“Some children said they would want to return to school so they can be teachers, nurses and police officers while others said they wanted projects. I want the minister to bring 300 victims from all the districts in this province and my office will teach them projects and give them starter packs.
“Now that today we have taught each other, I believe the same will never happen again here. Since you are the first group I have started with, you are now my ambassadors who will go about teaching others. I am happy that one of the survivors is now teaching others the dangers of having sexual intercourse before time.
“Parents and grandparents, are you teaching children morals, especially the girl child?” she asked.
A parent said they tried their best but the children had become stubborn and would bed any man who gave them money.
The same point was shared by a female headman, Mrs Precious Taderera, who said: “The clothes we are buying our children are not dignified. As mothers we are also walking in the nude and what are our children learning from this? We are sending our children to our boyfriends who ends up being impregnated. As parents we are to blame for our children’s mischief.”
Another discussant said there were places that had gained notoriety as havens for prostitution and drug abuse.
There is a place called Base, where children do all sorts of things including drug abuse.
Amai Mnangagwa implored women to dress properly as they should be role models to children and have time with them teaching them good morals.
The community was urged to utilise her 575 national call centre and report cases of those selling intoxicants to children.
Men said they also took blame for what had become of the children.
Village head, Mr Thomas Katena said: “We are to blame as men because some visit traditional healers who advise them to bed minors to boost their businesses.
“Some will be afflicted by diseases and are made to believe they would be cured if they bed children. Others use their girl child to appease avenging spirits. Also our children are following our footsteps, us as parents if we are always fighting in front of the children, what will they learn from us. This is totally unacceptable,” he said.
The gathering said Banket was awash with farms where people did not behave well while parents engaged in questionable behaviour which contaminated children.
Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka praised the First Lady for engage the community.
“Today our mother has done an unusual thing which had never occurred in our country. This programme you have come up with to engage the children is important. Child marriages are rife in Mashonaland West. They are dropping out of school and eloping to men where they are stressed until they return home.
“We are happy you have come to show us the way,” she said.
Dr Takura Kanonge from the Ministry of Health and Child Care explained the challenges associated with early child marriages like fistula.
Women’s Affairs Ministry representative, Mr Patrick Rangwani, said they have a department which helps children in various circumstances to acquire self-help skills.
Amai Mnangagwa promised to return to the province and engage boys separately.
She donated foodstuffs and toiletries to the survivors, Chiefs and the vulnerable groups including the elderly.
Online Reporter