Sista Clinik

You get up, blood in face, a loose tooth, bruises on your wrists, with half-closed eyes, you stare and just before you can utter any word, he hits you again. You are left on the floor writhing in pain and when you finally get the strength to drag yourself up, you walk up to him and say “I am sorry” to which he replies “You know I love you, you should stop making me do this to you”.

What will make a mother refuse to look, touch or breastfeed her own child when he or she is born? What will make a mother abandon her child? What will make a mother hate her child? What will make a mother give up her child for adoption? There are several reasons but today, I would like to address the reason called rape. Sarah had had many love proposals from her neighbor Paul, but she refused him. She loved her fiancé Ben who she couldn’t wait to marry and would never jeopardize their relationship for anything.  Paul was a rich guy who thought he was entitled to everything including the love of Sarah. He had to have her by all means necessary. So he tried several approaches—from trying to get her friends to speak to her, to romantic gestures, expensive gifts which she never accepted anyway.  She stood her ground and told him she was in love with another, and would be getting married soon. This might have been the final straw because Paul kidnapped Sarah on her way ...

I feel very ashamed to share my story, but I want to use this opportunity to encourage women to stand their grounds at all times; hold on to their principles, and not waver because of money. About 2 or 3 years ago, I was done with my university education and national service, and was desperately searching for a job. I came by a couple of men who offered to help me, but under the condition of sex. I refused them all. I had a standing principle which did not include sleeping my way into a job. Some friends tried to convince me to accept the ‘offer’, but I wanted a job genuinely, and not because I was the boss’s lady. Without any more alternatives, I took to little ushering jobs which still did not come easy. It was on one of my ushering nights I made quite a terrible mistake by asking for money from this guy called PK. I had met him through a mutual friend and we’d only started chatting up. I was in desperate need of cash, and he seemed to do well financially so I thoug...