NGO moves to fight early, forced marriages in Oti Region

A teenage mother from Kpasa, the capital of the Nkwanta North District in the Oti Region is back to school after refusing to get married to the father of her baby to enable her pursued her dream of becoming an actress.

Not even an advice from her family and peer pressure to marry her baby’s father to fulfill societal norms and practices could make her rescind her decision to go back to school after giving birth.

Nambu Hubaidatu, aged 17, now a form two student of the Kpasa Junior High School, said she took the decision to go back to school after taken part in a series of programme to build her capacity dubbed the “Ready Steady discussions”, where she learnt the effects of child marriage.

“I refused to get married after I was educated on the effects of child marriage; I notice I would suffer if I marry as a child without a career. I am back in school, studying to become an actress and a responsible adult to enable me to take care of my baby”, she stated.

Sharing of experiences

Hubaidatu is among the beneficiaries of the Ready Study initiative being implemented by Savana Signatures, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) under its I-Matter project in the district, a capacity building strategy used to engage young people and community leaders on issues of child marriage, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and teenage pregnancy.

She added that, though some of the students in her school and community mock her but she is determined to go through with her education, she said in an interview.

“Colleagues make a mockery of me especially at times I had to breastfeed my baby but that didn’t stop me from pursuing my dream. I also have someone who usually takes care of my baby while in school to enable me concentrate in class so I will say it is well”, she stated.

The Ready Study initiative has also helped some adolescent girls in the district to become a positive influence on their peers to prevent them from child marriage.

Ndati Charity, 14 years and a beneficiary of the project said if she had gained that knowledge on the effects of child marriage earlier she would have help her closest friend from getting married.

She recounted her friend’s experience, saying “My closest friend was forced into marriage because her brother could not pay for his wife's bride price, thus had to exchange her with the wife's brother. My friend was maltreated but each time she returns home to complain, the family sends her back for the fear of losing her brother’s wife. She finally ran out of the house and till now we do not know her where about”.

Charity added that she would have reported the case to the Police, her teachers or the social welfare department if she had known what she has been taught at the Ready Steady discussion earlier.

Ending SGBV and Promoting Peaceful Homes

Vida, a mother of three children also shared her story "My husband and I used to fight often; we disagreed on a lot of issues and often fought in the presence of the children. I noticed such behaviour was affecting our children negatively, especially how they related to other people”.

She said she participating in the Ready Steady discussions has taught her how to speak politely to her husband and seek for favourable grounds to meet the family needs, adding that her husband has changed making them to live happily with their children.

I-Matter Project

The I-Matter project is being implemented by the Savana Signatures in the Nkwanta North and Krachi East districts in the Oti region with support from Grand Challenge is aimed at contributing to the reduction of teenage pregnancy, child marriages and SGBV among adolescent girls and women in the project communities.

Background

Majority of adolescent girls in the Oti region dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy while some are forced into marriages to fulfill societal norms and practices.

Savana Signatures through the I-Matter project uses interactive discussions and media programmes to stimulate dialogue among pupils, teachers, parents and community leaders on ending harmful norms and practices that have marginalized women and girls in the communities for many years.

The NGO works in partnership with stakeholders to carry out interventions that contribute to the fight against child marriages, teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion and SGBV issues. This seeks to sustainably transform the lives of vulnerable women and adolescent girls in the country.