adminSharon Kavhu recently in Gutu
Coming from a polygamous family set-up and with her biological mother in another country, it seemed from the onset that life conspired to hand Anesu Gome a raw deal. Today, at the tender age of 16, she not only carries the mental and physical scars of the abuse she went through but now she has her own baby to worry about.
“My father’s fifth wife used to pour hot water on my face, whenever she had a quarrel with my father. Although I was an infant, I vividly remember how she misdirected all her anger on me.
“Sometimes she would even refuse to give me food and only fed her biological children,” said the 16-year-old Anesu Gome (not her real name).
Anesu is staying at a “safe house” in Gutu, where female victims of physical abuse, gender-based violence, sexual abuse and economic abuse are given shelter, albeit temporarily, while their cases are being handled legally.
“My mother relocated to South Africa after my father had married another wife because she could not handle the situation,” said Anesu.
“She used to send me money for me and my siblings to go to school, groceries and sometimes clothes.
“However, my step-mother tore up all the clothes and always threatened to chase me away, saying I should go and live with my mother in South Africa.”
Her step-sisters and brothers also turned against her too. They used to bit her up severely, so much that she became a regular at the local clinic for treatment.
“However, things took a turn for the worse when my father joined forces with my step-mother against me,” Anesu narrated, pain written all over her face.
“They forced me to stop attending school when I was only in Form One during first term. Soon after, they started personalising the money that had been sent for my fees. My mother did not stop sending money for my fees and clothes, however, my father deliberately misused my school fees and gave my step-sisters some of the clothes my mother sent.”
The scenario pushed Anesu into thinking that marriage was the only solution to all her problems, and she eloped to a 22-year-old who, ironically, abused her too.
Today, she has a three-month-old baby boy, who was deliberately burnt by a morsel of sadza on his mouth by his father, before he disowned him.
“My marriage is the main reason why I am staying here (safe house). Before I came here, my mother-in-law started denying her grandson saying he does not have arms similar to his father,” Anesu said.
“My husband then started having a negative attitude towards his son. Last week he poured cold water on his own baby who was sleeping on the sofa. The following day, when I came back from a local clinic, I found all of my clothes burnt including my baby’s.”
She said she reported the matter to the police.
The feud between Anesu and her in-laws started when she could not get pregnant within the first six months of eloping.
“Her husband’s relatives would hurl insults for failing to conceive. The situation then forced her to seek spiritual deliverance.
When she got pregnant, she thought her worries had been solved, but that only led to more physical abuse as she was constantly accused of promiscuity. Her case is one of the many examples of young children that are being forced into early marriages.
The “safe house” where Anesu, and others, are staying, is a project being run in collaboration between the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Musasa Project, United Nation Population Fund and other non-governmental organisations.
Matron at the “safe house”, Memory Nyawasha, said the house was officially opened in February this year and has handled at least 70 cases of women being economically abused, either by their husbands or parents.
“There have also been cases of females who have been sexually abused and these are at least 25 since February. Of this, 15 have been cases of girls under the age of 18.”
Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development community development co-ordinator, Mr Enock Munyoro, said the place is essential for such victims because it is more like a safe haven for them.
“Normally victims of sexual or physical abuse may not have anywhere to go to anyone to assist them on how to go over their cases,” said Mr Munyoro.
He said similar shelters have so far been established in Gutu and Mwenezi.
Online Reporter