WHAT IT MEANS TO BA BARREN WOMAN IN RURAL AFRICA

Barrenness or Infertility is a dreaded condition especially among women in the third world. In most cases the afflictions of the affected cases are made worse by relatives who tend to blame the affected women for the condition. When one goes about their business ill things are said behind their back. A barren woman in Africa is considered a bad omen. She is not spared by her on relatives either. Tales are told of women who cry so much because they are barren and have wished to have still births just to be counted among mothers.

 

Nanzala a Barren woman shared her life story as follows:

 

As a young girl she was married by her youthful lover at an early age of 19 years. She had just completed her primary school course and her father had no money to enroll her for secondary education. When a suitable lover came her way, she did not hesitate but got married.

 

Three years into the marriage and she was still without a child. She became the laughing stock of her village. Owino her husband sought to assure himself that he could not be the one with a problem so he had affairs behind his wife’s back and sired children. He had no problem with his wife staying at home however his brothers could hear none of it. They put pressure on Owino to send his wife away calling her names but he remained adamant.

 

One day, Nanzala’s sister came visiting her at her marital home and stayed for some time. Unknown to Nanzala her husband started having affairs with her sister and even made her pregnant. Although Nanzala was hurt, she felt that it was better for her husband to have the younger sister as a second wife instead of having affairs as that exposed them to HIV/AIDs. Nanzala’s parents were contacted over the same and they blessed the marriage of Werimo to Owino.

 

Within a couple of years Werimo had given birth to four wonderful children and became so protective of them she could not allow Nanzala to look at them twice. This behavior made Nanzala very uncomfortable. Werimo on the other side started consulting witch doctors to secure “protection” for her children from Nanzala’s “evil” eye. Werimo became suspicious of her sister that she started urging Owino to send Nanzala away from their marital home. Owino maintained that Nanzala was his first wife and he could not chase her out of his home. When Nanzala heard of Werimo’s plans she was so devastated. Since their husband refused to send Nanzala away, Werimo Her younger sister decided to wipe Nanzala out of her life by not talking to her. Werimo could not allow Nanzala to have anything to do with her children.

 

To date Nanzala feels the world has treated her unjustly for not having been able to have children.

Bye, Evelyn Mukanda