Passion for education and a girl-child’s tribulations

T HE saying that education liberates practically comes to the fore in the case of Fatima in Dr Nana Akaeze’s book, Growing Up African Girl Child in Etsako: The Struggle of an African Girl Child Against Culture and Religious Beliefs.

The book highlights the challenges and neglect suffered by a girl who, despite her passion for education, is confronted with religious and cultural beliefs starred-up against her.

In a society where the male-child is given preference over the girl-child, Fatima’s struggle to acquire education is one that will encourage those who are feeling disadvantaged in today’s world, that with passion, they can achieve anything they set their hearts at.

The book tells the story of a girl from a large family comprising of the father, four wives and 40 children, in which the father rules like a demi-god and no one else has a say in whatever decision he makes.

The father, a community and religious leader, does not believe in his daughters acquiring education beyond secondary school, and this is one area that pitches him against Fatima, who has the passion to attain the highest level of education achievement.

While Fatima’s father believes in giving the hands of his daughter out in marriage as soon as they can write, the experience of Josephine, one the Fatima’s elder sisters, in her husband’s house, which ultimately results in her death, further reinforces Fatima’s decision not to be married-off without acquiring tertiary education, nor to be bethroned to someone she does not know.

The fate of Celia, Fatima’s younger sister, who is assigned to assist Josephine in her husband’s house, and how she ends up being responsible for her sister’s children upon her demise, further strengthens Fatima’s resolve against child marriage.

The story becomes more gripping when the father finally believes it is time for Fatima to be married-off, but she devises a way to fail her father’s test which he administers to his daughters in order to ascertain their proficiency level in writing.

The result of the test is the ultimate determinant as to whether a girl is ready for marriage or not, as the father believes any girl who passes the test has already acquired the necessary educational skills to be writing to intimate him about the happenings in her marital life.

In order to delay being married off, Fatima, on several occasions, intentionally fails the tests, which thus confuses the father, who cannot understand why she can’t pass a simple test he administers on her, while she performs well in her academics.

When Fatima finally finishes secondary education, she strikes a deal with her mother on how she will finance her tertiary education, knowing full well that her father is against it, and will never support her.

Both mother and daughter, however, decides to approach her elder brothers who are already married and are living in other parts of the country to support her tertiary education fund endowment.

Fatima’s experiences mixed reactions from her elder brothers, as while some are not ready to assist outrightly, others only made promises.

The story then flows to how a long-lost uncle of Fatima who lives in the Northern Nigerian city of Gafu resurfaces, and how Fatima finds herself in the North.

Her challenges continue as she defies her father to return home from the North, and how she finally falls-out with her uncle, who wants her to be the third wife of his friend.

In the end, Fatima struggles to finish her first degree, and during the one-year national youth service, she meets her future husband, who is also passionate about education.

They both relocate to the United States of America, where they both continue their quest for knowledge, until both attain the doctorate degree.

The book is the reality of many a girl-child, who has been limited by the religious and cultural beliefs of her family.

However, Fatima’s struggles to achieve her passion will serve as a great encouragement to any girl-child who is also experiencing some challenges in this regard.

The fact that the story is a true-life story typical of the Nigerian society is enough reassurance that anything one puts his/her mind on then one can achieve.