There is this Hausa/ Arab family that used to live about 2 doors away from mine in an uncompleted building. Their dad was the gate man of the building. The woman had about 8 daughters, 3 were married. Being in interested in women issues as I am I took interest in the remaining 4. The oldest
Anyways Mumc and I started talking to her mum and prevailed on her to let her daughters go to school, how it was too early for them to marry and etc.
To cut the long story short
The other 4 girls Memunat 10, Miriam 9. Hauwa and her twin (Aisha) both 7 were quite enthusiastic about school. Unfortunately Aisha is crippled polio from birth so that was out of it). Their mum said she needed someone to help her with the household chores Memunat was elected for that so only Hauwa and Miriam could go to school.
Hauwa bless her soul has never disappointed me for one day. She comes to the house over the weekend shows me her school books, reads to me from the reader, brings her result home. She is a real sharp girl
The disappointment was
We got blamed. There is nothing her mum did not say. We should have let her marry her daughter off then…see now who is going to marry her.. she is now a laughing stock…the woman wept and wept. She took the girl for abortion sha. Now the others may have to stop school and get married. Its so sad and dissapointing
But I guess you can’t win them all
