'From forced marriage to fulfilling her medical doctor

For Nemris Olkimbei (17) education is the only way for someone to attain riches and a good life.
Nemris, a Maasai girl hailing from Mkuranga district, escaped her forced husband in her village after staying at his home compound for three days and is now in form three at Chanzige Secondary School in Kisarawe district, Coast region.
“I was 15 years old when my father decided to marry me off contrary to my wish after receiving 35 heads of cattle as dowry from my supposed husband,” she says.
At that time, she says she already had the joining instructions in her hands, however hardly a day before her departure in the evening when assisting her mother to milk cows, a group of five hired Maasai young men (Morani) descended on her, lifted her up and disappeared with her to her supposed husband.
“I stayed there for three days crying for the whole day and night to prevent the old man from touching me,” she says.
Luckily enough the family had a visit of local leader who heard me crying in the house and ordered my release.
“I escaped without explaining to them what had befallen me because there was no time to do that,” she said.

She says the man who had paid the 35 heads was the age of his father at 58 years of age and she was going to be his fourth wife.
“He was 58 years old and already married to three wives. But he still wanted me to become his fourth wife, as my father wanted the dowry,” she says.
She says despite her refusal to marry the old man, her father pushed her into the marriage, insisting the Maasai tradition sanctions matrimonial unions as the age factor was never an obstacle.
Having realised that she had passed the primary school final examinations and selected to join this secondary school (Chanzige) she explored all possible ways to escape and join the school in Kisarawe district.
“I managed to escape my forced husband with the help of the district education officer who took the initiative in collaboration with other relevant authorities and held my father responsible,” she narrated.
She says her father later apologized for the misdemeanour and pledged to support me in education.
The self determination of the Masasai girl who plans to be a medical doctor in future, shows how determination is crucial among young girls.
“We need to fight for what we stand for,” she says.
She says her dream of becoming a medical doctor was going be cut short following his father’s decision to marry her off despite her mother being against the idea.
“My mother has always supported me with my education and even after my father married me off, my mother arranged for an escape and gave me Sh30,000 as transport fee and pocket money to school if I succeeded the escape,” she says.
She says she took a commuter bus from Mkuranga while asking all the way about the school’s whereabouts after her escape, until she reached the school in Kisarawe.
“I am thankful to family members of one of the school teachers who sympathized with me and provided me with food, shelter and encouragement,” she stated.
As days went on after the escape, the livestock received as dowry were returned to the owner. The greed for more wealth caused unnecessary inconvenience to girls. For example Nembris’ father had already in stock more than 3,000 heads of cattle and yet craved for more.
Regina Malimbo is the school teacher who accommodated Nembris from day one. “The girl is disciplined and extremely bright in class. She copes very well in all subjects and always focused on her dream to become a medical doctor. There was a day she sought advice from me as to how hundreds of girls forced to early marriage like her would be assisted to realize their dreams. I had no answer but authorities and the entire community can made a difference through determination,” she concluded.
She thanked Plan International Tanzania office for continued support to students like Nembris and many others under difficult conditions now provided with the basic learning materials.
Isaya Makassy from Plan International in Dar es Salaam said the support extended to needy pupils and students was in recognition of girls’ rights to education as some came from low income families.
Dr Halima Hamisi from Temeke district hospital said early pregnancy was likely to develop complications among teenagers who in most cases are afraid of seeking adequate medical care during pregnancy.
“Complications that may occur during a teen pregnancy include anemia, high blood pressure, placenta rupture and premature birth of the baby. Some have to undergo caesarean as the pelvic might not be fully grown for normal delivery,” she explained.
Commenting on the trend that subjected adolescent girls into forced marriage, the Minister for Health Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ummy Mwalimu said from now on the law on sexual offences would ‘cut deep’ and those taking under-18 girls as their wives would be considered rapists with a deserving jail sentence of 30 years.
“Let parents and guardians stop denying girls the right to education, under pretext of the quest for wealth. Findings by the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey indicated that children born of educated mothers stood a better chance to perform well in class and a brighter future. Education to women facilitates implementation of various development plans,” Mwalimu intoned.