Twenty-nine-year-old Prudence Donald was seen sitting in front of a large compound at Oviri Olomu Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area.
At 29, Prudence has endured more hardships than many women, twice her age. A teacher in a local private school, she earns a modest N15,000 a month, a salary that barely covers her living expenses, let alone sustains her and her two children.
But behind her welcoming disposition lies a heart-wrenching tale of love gone sour, domestic abuse, and the brutal realities of life as a young Nigerian woman.
The single mother narrated her woes to Saturday Tribune on a cozy Wednesday evening in rustic Oviri-Olomu.
“My name is Prudence Donald. I’m 29 years old. I was born and brought up in Oviri Olomu Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area. I’m a teacher in one private school in the village. I wasn’t doing anything before I started teaching. I was living in Ozoro.
“I finished my National Diploma at Ozoro Polytechnic, Delta State. When I finished my Diploma, I started teaching in one private school,” she said.
Like many young women, Prudence found herself swept up in love. She met a man from the Isoko ethnic group, fell in love, and eventually married him. But what seemed like the beginning of a journey of affection quickly turned into a nightmare.
The abuse wasn’t just emotional, it became physical. His constant battery left Prudence battered and broken, both in body and spirit.
According to her, his constant maltreatment almost led to her death. The abuse became so severe that Prudence fell seriously ill. Without a job, she couldn’t afford proper medical care, and Ozoro, once her place of hope, became a hostile environment. With her health deteriorating and no one to turn to, she made the difficult decision to leave Ozoro behind.
Prudence fled back to Oviri Olomu, returning to the family she had once left for love. She had to plead for forgiveness from her family, who had earlier warned her about the man she married. “Love blinded my eyes,” she admitted, reflecting on her past decisions.
Her family, despite their initial reservations, welcomed her back with open arms. She brought with her not just the weight and scars of her suffering but also two children who had been abandoned by their father.
She narrates: “I got married to a man and we were living in Ozoro like I said but the marriage was not successful. The man was maltreating me. His constant battery almost led to my death so I had to run here. He maltreated me to the point I became so sick. He was part of the sickness that brought me down to the village.
“So when I recovered, I didn’t go to get back to Ozoro so I started the teaching job. I have been having issues with the man for so long so I was hoping he would change.
“But he became worse by the day. He was maltreating me as if I was a nobody. So I had to run for my dear life; that is why I came here. I had to come here, pleaded with my family to forgive me.
“They had warned about the guy but love blinded my eyes. So when the thing became unbearable for me, I had to run away with my children. I met my family and they accepted me back. He doesn’t even care about the children. He is not asking after them. That boy is a very useless somebody. He is from Isoko ethnic group.
“I have been here with my children for over a month now. I have two children. After I recovered from the sickness, I was idle with no money to feed my children so I decided to start teaching. They are paying me 15,000 there also.
“Government should give job opportunities for graduates in the country. There are so many graduates in the country but there are no jobs to encourage them and compensate them for the hardship and stress they experienced in school.
“Government should bring down the price of fuel so that the price of foodstuffs can also come down so that the common man can survive.
“As I am talking to you, the poor are barely living because of the hardship in the county.”
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