Child 'drought brides' sold secretly in Kenya
So the rest of the family can get food
HABASWEIN, Kenya - "It's done in the dark," said Fatuma Ahmed, squatting inside her makeshift stick shelter.
"Some people sell their daughters at a tender age so they can get food. It's common but people are silent about it."
Prolonged drought in northern Kenya has pushed many families, like widow Ahmed and her seven children, toward the outskirts of towns where they are more likely to get food and water.
Aid is in short supply and people are resorting to desperate strategies. It's illegal to marry under the age of 18 in Kenya -- so the phenomenon of "drought brides" is only whispered about.
Child marriage is not unusual is this part of the world.
Many pastoralist communities, like Somalis in Habaswein, believe it is important to marry their girls off when they are young so that their honor, or virginity, is preserved.
Women who do not marry young are seen as flawed and a burden on their family.
"In our culture, girls marry as young as nine," said one local community health worker. "She is forced to marry someone when she is not willing. They are forced by their parents."
Among pastoralist communities, a "dowry," in this case a bride price, is traditionally given to the bride's family in the form of livestock.
"People marry when they have a dowry to pay and everything is in plenty," said Abdi Issak, a local aid worker.
"When it is green, the animals can drink from the water pans. You see it in the faces of the people. Their faces shine because they get enough food in their homes."
But most of the animals have died due to the drought that has affected around 10 million people in the Horn of Africa. The animals' carcasses litter the desert landscape.
SOLD FOR $168
Now young girls are being sold, according to locals, for as little as 15,000 Kenyan shillings ($168).
"If he's wealthy, it can go up to 50,000 ($559)," said Ahmed.
Hunger drives the exchange.
"A mother will take a 14-year-old girl out of school and sell her to a man -- even an old man -- to get money to give the other children food," said a local chief. "Some households have 10 children and feeding those children is really hard."
Enrolment in his local primary school has dropped to 210 children from 350 since the drought started to bite last year.
"Over a hundred have been removed because of hunger," he said.
According to the United Nations, only one in five girls in North Eastern Province attend school.
Aid agency World Vision is unable to trace 400 of the 3,060 children it sponsors in the district. Some have been sent to stay with better-off relatives who can feed them. Some are working as maids in people's houses or in food kiosks.
But others are married off "just to make sure that the rest of the family does not die from lack of food," said Jacob Alemu, World Vision's local programme manager.
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manzotho
In Xhosa dey say INDLALA INAMANYALA how can u sell ur own child just 4 food anyway i understand why bcoz poverty it`s taking it`s tol 2 dem & SA is triying by all means to assist. Lot of African countries wil never b better bcoz dey cam & stay here in SA instead of triying 2 resolve issues in their cuntries. Im not saying dis in a bad way but if dey stood 2geda den all dis was not gonna happen & if dey can stop having kids bcoz dey suffer more dan de parents. I feel sorry for those countries dat a not making it we all deserve a better life i just hope God can rescue dem.Report Abuse
sodoma
eishhh no commentReport Abuse
spokowee
dilo tse so di ya nkwatisha shem, ke masepa fela aaa, how do you marry a nine year old? sis le ge bare tlala maan..........sis.Report Abuse
nevus
sodomaeishhh no comment
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you've just commented bloody half i told you o dom and hai dom nje mara verrrrry dom
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spokowee
and im also angry at the UN gore why dont they give this women injections tsa go preventer? they can lie to them moos bare ke for malnutrition knowing it is for prevention of pregnancy cos le bona they dont stop ka go etsa bana. i wonder gore where do they get the energy to have sex ka gore ba bolaya ke tlala.Report Abuse
MRPRESIDENT11
Mcharthy is a fat boy no matter what is happening in Kenya. We do not whant a player who swimmed in the oil before. We are dignified team. Khozi for life!!We are very selective.Fokof Mchathy.Sowetan please stop the Mchathy thing every day it is irritating.Report Abuse
Makepisi
Go kwesha bohloko ka se se diregang ka bana ba. Ngwana o bohlokwa kudu. A ka sekgone le go gana gobane gago se a ka go sedirang go thibela se. BOHLOKO RURI !!!Report Abuse
zazaza52
@ Spokowee I second you there. I fail to understand why people keep on having many kids when they are dying of hunger and I think it's time they have rules like only 2 children per married family and those not married one to alievate poverty and selling kidsReport Abuse
manzotho
@ Zazaza52When u c dis kids on tv dey luk so scary now dis really proves dat Sex is A Pain Killer no matter.
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sodoma
nevus@broer am not inthe mood ya go rogana le wena nnyo ya mmago ya swiming pool ya lerega.stupid asshole ya mmago.
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