Growing up African Girl Child in Etsako: The Struggle of an African Girl Child Against Culture and Religious Belief

By Dr. Nana Akaeze

Everything Fatima has, shes earned on her own merit. Having gone the very tough way, she built her education from nothing and made it a successful journey through her resilience, determination, focus, and self-motivation. Her childhood was full of uncertainty for her passion (education). Her persistent struggle to overcome hardship with the help of her supportive husband, Yusuf, is a distinguished true story of human courage and dedication.

These and many other aspects of Fatimas life experiences are presented in this book with a clear, straightforward write-up. This unforgettable narration offers young girls who are currently going through similar situations encouragement to hold on to their dream, for the reward is big.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543454260

Dr. Nana Akaeze

Dr. Nana Akaeze is the President of Standing By Your Dream Initiative, Inc,(NGO), University Instructor, Freelance Editor for academic and business manuscript and a Scholar-Practitioner. Her professional experience has been in banking, human resources, and consultancy services. She holds a BS in management from ABU Zaria, an MBA from DeVry University, and a doctorate degree in International Business from Walden University, and has a professional Certificate from Harvard University.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Dr. Nana Akaeze.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER:     2017915132

     ISBN:               HARDCOVER                 978-1-5434-5424-6

                               SOFTCOVER                  978-1-5434-5425-3

                              EBOOK                         978-1-5434-5426-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/26/2017

TXlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

768162

CONTENTS

Brief

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1     The Village Kingdom

Chapter 2     My Family

Chapter 3     Celia and Family Culture

Chapter 4     Early Marriage

Chapter 5     Mothers promise

Chapter 6     Plea for secondary education

Chapter 7     Polygamous marriage

Chapter 8     Ambition in the mix of fear

Chapter 9     Be yourself

Chapter 10   Capping The Secondary Education

Chapter 11   Breaking the culture

Chapter 12   First trip to the North

Chapter 13   Acculturating to outside World

Chapter 14   Achieving a Dream

Chapter 15   Weathered the Storm

Reference

This book is inspired by a true life story. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the real life story phenomenon. The names are assumed for protection of the actual characters involved. Any resemblance to actual names or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Brief

Everything Fatima has she’s earned on her own merit. The very tough way, she built her educational part from nothing and made it a successful journey through her resilient, determination, focus, and self motivation. Her childhood was full of uncertainty for her passion (education). Her persistent struggle to overcome the hardship with the help of her supportive husband; Yusuf is of distinguished true life story of human courage and dedication.

These and many other aspects of Fatima’s life experiences are presented in this book with a clear straightforward write up. This unforgettable narration offers young girls who are currently going through similar situation encouragement to hold on to their dream for the reward is bigly.

Acknowledgements

I will always give my husband the sincere thanks from my heart, who sacrificed the most of our family time to make this story a success. I am particularly blessed with wonderful and most understanding children in the world. Their patience and cooperation throughout this journey made a difference. I also appreciate my mother who gave me the courage that a day will come for this story. If there are any errors in Growing up African Girl Child in a Afemai, the fault is mine. Thanks again to my husband who devoted his time in making sure the story align with the message I needed to pass across to all who desire the courage to have a voice. To God be all the Glory for keeping and strengthening me all through.

Chapter 1

THE VILLAGE KINGDOM

Situated in the middle of mid-western part of Nigeria, Village is an Agrarian community who built their culture around Islamic religious belief, tainted with some mix of Western culture. The Village people are unique in many ways. As oral history that was passed noted, the Villages were originally part of great Bini kingdom and were makers of the Bini artifacts. History has it also that, the relationship between Binis and Village peoples fell apart after the Binis accused them of treason with a consequential extermination plot by the Binis against Village people. The Villages are part of Afemai group of people living in Afemai the northern part of Edo in the south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. According to Asekhauno and Inagbor in 2012, the entire Afemai migrated from the old Bini kingdom in the 18th century.

Historians posits that the first Onogie (King) of Village who was known as Obar spoke multiple languages and practiced the religion of Islam even though he had no previous exposure to any. As suggested by Oseni in 1999, Islamic religion was championed in Afemai area by two traditional rulers Obar of Village and Otaru Momoh I of Auchi. Obar of Village later fortified his religious belief when he came across and became acquainted with the Nupe and Hausa Islamic mallams who migrated to Village community. Oseni (1999) confirmed that Islam was introduced into Village through the activities of Hausa, Nupe, Yoruba and Fulani itinerant mallams who settled in the area right from middle of the nineteenth century.

Currently, Village town is in Afemai Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. According to oral history, the forbearers of Village clan settled at a location between Ugoili and Auchi from where the people of Village migrated southward to current location along the Bini – Auchi – Abuja road. The people of Village are largely Muslims with Islam ingrained as indigenous religious practice in the town. The engagement of Village people in farming activities for commerce and sustenance spans from an arable naturally fertile land along with the reasonably good rainfall. Institutions of education in Village include Village primary school, Village Secondary School, a College, and others. There is also the nearby Auchi polytechnic whose overflow students lived within Village town. The Monarch of Village is known to as Obar and the present Obar of Village is His Royal Highness, Obar II.

Village Town is where my story of struggles against religious and cultural belief growing up a girl-child with zeal and passion for education began. The dream along with grimed hindrances from family culture of early marriage stacked against me was my journey to success in higher learning despite the odds. Resilience was significant in the journey to success and struggles to achieve my dream of education. Polk in 1997 posited that resilience is the ability and capacity to change difficult conditions to experiences that leads to growth and development of an individual.

I am Dr. Fatima

Yes! Becoming stronger through negative life events is associated with positive changes, such as changed priorities, improved self-efficiency, and higher spirituality (Barskova & Oesterreich, 2009).

It is with sense of hope that the prefix before my name evokes for young girls facing hardship as they dream to be educated that I decided