She Was Forced

It was Monday morning. My neighbor started to yell at her child “you stupid child come here where do you think you are going?!” Jane told her mother that she was going to school.

My neighbor said to Jane that she is nothing but a hypocrite and liar. “But mommy, I am not a liar, I am going to school.”

Jane’s mother refused. Jane asked where she was supposed to go and her mother said that she was going to be married. Jane was shocked by the news.

Jane said, “no mother! I am not ready to be married to that old man. I am sorry, please mommy, what I need now is to go to school. I am too young to be married.”

My neighbor was so surprised when Jane said that, she started to laugh at her child saying, “ooh my, Jane you are not as young as you think.”

Jane was only 16 years old. “Do you think it’s fair to do this to me mother?” My neighbor replied with a yes.

Jane was in so much pain. All she wanted was to go back to school. But her mother was forcing her and if she did not marry this guy, she would be forced to leave home. So she did.

I don’t think that this is good for these young girls because I feel like they are my sisters. So please, I am asking you parents to stop abusing your children like this with early marriages.

Tags: child abuse, child destroy, early marriage, kenya