Her Life in a Nutshell

Born 55 years ago in Tambori-a small West African village, it was impossible to predict success in this ordinary ‘village’ girl. Back then, being a girl meant a destiny in the kitchen; washing dishes and breeding children. It meant female circumcision at the age of 12 and early marriage to a brutal stranger. As a kid, Elizabeth was atypical; she was unusually vocal and reasoned beyond her years. “Why did you bring me into this world?” she once asked her mother; “to suffer like all these other women?”

Elizabeth was the 11th daughter in the Ntobi family of 15 girls. Her father had married three wives in an attempt to have a son. Sons were a treasure to every family in Tambori; they were the hope of survival in a village torn with famine and instability. Like warriors headed for warfare; they were fed the lion’s share and equipped with as much education as the family could afford. They were taught the secrets of wealth and the darkness of supremacy; as the Bible insisted, ‘man shall dominate all creatures of the earth, [especially the woman].’ Elizabeth’s job was to wash the dishes after every meal, and follow her mother daily to the farm, which was 2 kilometers away. The sun was her greatest enemy during those long treacherous walks to the farm; the intense heat blistered her feet and scorched her tender dark skin. Lambodi, Elizabeth’s mother, was a very strong woman; she never once complained of the distance or burden of produce she carried on her bare back daily. At the farm, they tilled the earth for hours, removing weeds and harvesting crops. “What a misery, what a life!” 10 year old Elizabeth often thought to herself.

The journeys back home from the farm were often bothersome for little
Elizabeth. The sight of boys her age, walking home from school in beautifully tailored uniforms shuffled her spirit. These jubilant kids were a constant reminder of her turbulent future. At age 10, her circumcision and subsequent marriage ceremony was only 2 years away. She had met her betrothed once at the age of 8. His name was Alhaji Sadiku; he was thin and tall with charcoal black skin. His gaze was cold and blunt, his face shriveled and stern. The sight of such human horror sent chills down Elizabeth’s spine; her grief that day was irremediable. Alhaji Sadiku was the wealthiest merchant in the village. He was 71 years old and had 12 wives with 33 children; marrying numerous wives was a symbol of power and masculinity in Tambori. His farmland spanned one quarter of the village; he had hundreds of cattle, goats, and chicken. Like Elizabeth’s father, most men in Tambori counted themselves lucky to have their daughters married to Alhaji. His bride price was worth 20 cattle, 10 goats, and 15 gallons of palm wine. This was the price at which Elizabeth was sold.

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