Sacrificing daughters to save marriage

Sacrificing daughters to save marriage

 Chikumbutso Chimpeni (not her real name), a fourteen-year-old girl a former form one, student now pregnant and HIV positive.  She got pregnant and HIV positive both from the same man.  The man in question is her neighbour, married with a family, but now in prison. Chikumbutso , has been taken out of school and her life has been ruined as she will no longer be able to complete her education. Furthermore, her parents have sent her away to her home village to stay with relatives.

What makes this case fascinating is the fact that Chikumbutso’s parents together with the family of the alleged man protested against his imprisonment by going to the police station, demanding his release! Shocking, shocking, shocking, I say!!! Not only did he rape her but also infected her with the HIV virus. The concern of Chikumbutso’s family is to protect the perpetrator and not her and are clearly upset by his imprisonment.  Sorry, to say reading the article in the Daily Times both shocked and angered me to think no regard for a young innocent girl whose virtue is been taken away from her. He has not only left her pregnant but also has infected her with HIV denying her of a better future all for the sake of one man’s uncontrollable desire to cheat and rob an innocent child of her future. What a disgrace to see how innocent children, females  are been treated.

 The man in question, is a married, has a wife and children and no doubt she’s presumably also HIV positive. The report further states that when defilement happens the families involved agree to settle out of court or keep it hidden to maintain a good relationship with their neighbor.

According to the report the district of Thyolo, girls are at high risk of HIV infection and defilement (rape). The reporter also stated, “four months from January, 19 girls have been defiled (raped), 17 of the girls are HIV positive all under the age of 18. Communities have 18 per cent HIV prevalence over the national 10.6 percent, and many cases go unreported. How many unreported cases are not clear, however, what we do know is that many young innocent Malawian girls are defiled (raped), in some cases also infected and covered up all for the sake of ‘maintaining a good relationship’ with the neighbor, the perpetrator and his family.

On the other hand, is the positive side a number of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), working with local communities to safeguard lives of young innocent girls from both defilement (rape) and from HIV infection. However, more work needs to be done to help these vulnerable young girls.

  Taken from  Malawi newspaper: The Daily Times, Thursday, June 27, 2013