She never had a childhood…
Some girls never really had a childhood. They were robbed of laughter, of freedom, of teenage dreams - all in the name of “marriage.”
There are stories that pierce your soul so deep, you feel them long after you’ve finished hearing them.
This one? It’s one of those stories.
That morning, I sat quietly at my desk, marking my students’ assignments when one of my brightest girls - Adaeze - walked in, her eyes red and swollen.
“Good morning, ma,” she greeted, her voice trembling.
Something in me paused. You know that kind of silence that whispers trouble before words even start?
I gently asked, “Adaeze, what happened?”
Then she broke down.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, “Ma, one man say he wan marry me.”
I froze.
“Marry you? You’re just 16!” I exclaimed, my heart pounding.
She nodded, whispering, “Yes ma… the man is over 30. My parents said they will think about it.”
I felt like shouting.
In 2025. In this same Nigeria. We’re still doing this?!
I told her calmly, “My dear, you are a child. Marriage is not for you yet. You have dreams to chase, a purpose to find. Tell them no.”
She nodded, looking relieved… but that relief was short-lived.
By the next day, Adaeze came to school crying again - this time with her parents and the man in question and his father standing outside my classroom gate.
The man said boldly, “Madam, I just want to marry her. I go pay her bride price now, I go train her till she finish school.”
I looked at him, disgusted.
“What kind of human are you?” I asked quietly. “You want to buy her future with rice and promises?”
He smiled shamelessly, “Na so e dey be, teacher. E no be crime. My papa marry my mama when she be 15. See me today now.”
I took a deep breath and looked at the father - grey hair, wrinkled skin, yet no wisdom.
Then the shocking part came - two women, fellow mothers who stood nearby, joined in saying,
“Madam teacher, abeg no put mouth. Na family matter. If her parents say yes, na their decision.”
I was speechless.
Mothers? Supporting this?
How do you explain to people who think a girl’s worth begins and ends in her womb that she deserves a life too?
You see, this is not just Adaeze’s story.
It’s the story of many girls across our villages - girls whose dreams were buried under the title of “Mrs.”
In some places, once you clock 14 or 15, they begin to whisper your name in the market.
“Eh, that one never marry?”
By 18, if no man has come, you’re already “becoming a problem.”
That’s how they marry them off to men twice their age - men old enough to be their fathers.
These girls… they start to “mature by force.”
They give birth before their bodies are ready, they suffer complications, some die during childbirth, others live scarred for life - emotionally, physically, spiritually.
I still remember my own teenage years.
When I was 17, in SS3, my mum was like an eagle.
If any boy dared say “hello” to me on the road, she’d show up like thunder and report the boy to his family.
At that time, I used to feel embarrassed but now? I understand.
She wasn’t being harsh - she was protecting me.
She wanted me to have a choice, a voice, a future.
She wanted me to become a woman of purpose before becoming a wife.
Not every girl is that lucky.
Some parents treat their daughters like commodities - “If he fit buy rice and build small house, e don do.”
Na so them dey sell their children to hunger and regrets.
Sometimes I ask myself - what happened to humanity?
To love?
To protection?
As we say in Igbo land:
“Nwa ka ego”(A child is greater than money). This adage reflects the profound cultural value placed on children within igbo society. Children are invaluable assets and blessings that surpass material wealth.
Why are some parents so eager to give away the same children they brought into the world with tears and prayers?
Women are life. Whoever neglects them neglects life itself.
I can’t forget the story of my childhood friend, Chinyere.
We were just 16 then. Her parents almost married her off to one man in his late 30s.
If not for our class teacher that time - that angel in human form - she would have been someone’s wife at 16.
The teacher called her parents and told them, “You’re not giving your daughter a husband. You’re giving her away to pain.”
That day, something shifted in me. I realized that not every adult deserves to be called a parent.
A true parent protects, not trades.
Let me be real with you - early marriage doesn’t just destroy education.
It destroys confidence.
It kills childhood.
It silences dreams.
You’ll see a 15-year-old girl in labor, screaming in pain, not even understanding what’s happening to her body.
Some die there on the hospital bed.
Others live but never heal.
Is that what we call love?
Or culture?
No! That’s cruelty wrapped in tradition.
We need to do better.
We must start shouting louder - as teachers, as mothers, as fathers, as neighbors.
We must stop normalizing the evil of early marriage.
Every child deserves to laugh, learn and live before being pushed into the responsibilities of adulthood.
Let’s raise a generation of girls who can dream without fear.
Let’s tell our daughters, “You are more than someone’s wife. You are someone first.”
I looked at Adaeze that day and told her in front of everyone, “My dear, no matter what happens, don’t let anyone steal your tomorrow. Protect your dreams. Education is your dowry.”
She smiled through her tears and I knew - even if the whole world stood against her, I would stand beside her.
The future belongs to girls who dare to say “No” to oppression and “Yes” to purpose.
LESSONS
Protect your daughters - don’t auction their destinies.
Educate your girls - don’t silence their dreams.
Love should never be forced - it should be free. The Bible said that:
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
Culture that destroys lives is not worth keeping. A woman is a blessing; treat her right and she will bless the world.
Let’s speak up.
Let’s educate our communities.
Let’s mentor the next generation of girls.
Every time we raise awareness, we rescue another Adaeze somewhere.
Sometimes, telling the story is the first step to changing it.
© Elizabeth Akudo All Rights Reserved #EndChildMarriage #ProtectTheGirlChild #StopTheCycle #StoriesThatHeal #ElizabethAkudoWrites #NoToChildAbuse #EveryGirlDeservesAChildhood
Follow @Elizabeth Akudo
For more stories that touch hearts, open eyes, and inspire change.
Some girls never really had a childhood. They were robbed of laughter, of freedom, of teenage dreams - all in the name of “marriage.”
There are stories that pierce your soul so deep, you feel them long after you’ve finished hearing them.
This one? It’s one of those stories.
That morning, I sat quietly at my desk, marking my students’ assignments when one of my brightest girls - Adaeze - walked in, her eyes red and swollen.
“Good morning, ma,” she greeted, her voice trembling.
Something in me paused. You know that kind of silence that whispers trouble before words even start?
I gently asked, “Adaeze, what happened?”
Then she broke down.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, “Ma, one man say he wan marry me.”
I froze.
“Marry you? You’re just 16!” I exclaimed, my heart pounding.
She nodded, whispering, “Yes ma… the man is over 30. My parents said they will think about it.”
I felt like shouting.
In 2025. In this same Nigeria. We’re still doing this?!
I told her calmly, “My dear, you are a child. Marriage is not for you yet. You have dreams to chase, a purpose to find. Tell them no.”
She nodded, looking relieved… but that relief was short-lived.
By the next day, Adaeze came to school crying again - this time with her parents and the man in question and his father standing outside my classroom gate.
The man said boldly, “Madam, I just want to marry her. I go pay her bride price now, I go train her till she finish school.”
I looked at him, disgusted.
“What kind of human are you?” I asked quietly. “You want to buy her future with rice and promises?”
He smiled shamelessly, “Na so e dey be, teacher. E no be crime. My papa marry my mama when she be 15. See me today now.”
I took a deep breath and looked at the father - grey hair, wrinkled skin, yet no wisdom.
Then the shocking part came - two women, fellow mothers who stood nearby, joined in saying,
“Madam teacher, abeg no put mouth. Na family matter. If her parents say yes, na their decision.”
I was speechless.
Mothers? Supporting this?
How do you explain to people who think a girl’s worth begins and ends in her womb that she deserves a life too?
You see, this is not just Adaeze’s story.
It’s the story of many girls across our villages - girls whose dreams were buried under the title of “Mrs.”
In some places, once you clock 14 or 15, they begin to whisper your name in the market.
“Eh, that one never marry?”
By 18, if no man has come, you’re already “becoming a problem.”
That’s how they marry them off to men twice their age - men old enough to be their fathers.
These girls… they start to “mature by force.”
They give birth before their bodies are ready, they suffer complications, some die during childbirth, others live scarred for life - emotionally, physically, spiritually.
I still remember my own teenage years.
When I was 17, in SS3, my mum was like an eagle.
If any boy dared say “hello” to me on the road, she’d show up like thunder and report the boy to his family.
At that time, I used to feel embarrassed but now? I understand.
She wasn’t being harsh - she was protecting me.
She wanted me to have a choice, a voice, a future.
She wanted me to become a woman of purpose before becoming a wife.
Not every girl is that lucky.
Some parents treat their daughters like commodities - “If he fit buy rice and build small house, e don do.”
Na so them dey sell their children to hunger and regrets.
Sometimes I ask myself - what happened to humanity?
To love?
To protection?
As we say in Igbo land:
“Nwa ka ego”(A child is greater than money). This adage reflects the profound cultural value placed on children within igbo society. Children are invaluable assets and blessings that surpass material wealth.
Why are some parents so eager to give away the same children they brought into the world with tears and prayers?
Women are life. Whoever neglects them neglects life itself.
I can’t forget the story of my childhood friend, Chinyere.
We were just 16 then. Her parents almost married her off to one man in his late 30s.
If not for our class teacher that time - that angel in human form - she would have been someone’s wife at 16.
The teacher called her parents and told them, “You’re not giving your daughter a husband. You’re giving her away to pain.”
That day, something shifted in me. I realized that not every adult deserves to be called a parent.
A true parent protects, not trades.
Let me be real with you - early marriage doesn’t just destroy education.
It destroys confidence.
It kills childhood.
It silences dreams.
You’ll see a 15-year-old girl in labor, screaming in pain, not even understanding what’s happening to her body.
Some die there on the hospital bed.
Others live but never heal.
Is that what we call love?
Or culture?
No! That’s cruelty wrapped in tradition.
We need to do better.
We must start shouting louder - as teachers, as mothers, as fathers, as neighbors.
We must stop normalizing the evil of early marriage.
Every child deserves to laugh, learn and live before being pushed into the responsibilities of adulthood.
Let’s raise a generation of girls who can dream without fear.
Let’s tell our daughters, “You are more than someone’s wife. You are someone first.”
I looked at Adaeze that day and told her in front of everyone, “My dear, no matter what happens, don’t let anyone steal your tomorrow. Protect your dreams. Education is your dowry.”
She smiled through her tears and I knew - even if the whole world stood against her, I would stand beside her.
The future belongs to girls who dare to say “No” to oppression and “Yes” to purpose.
LESSONS
Protect your daughters - don’t auction their destinies.
Educate your girls - don’t silence their dreams.
Love should never be forced - it should be free. The Bible said that:
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
Culture that destroys lives is not worth keeping. A woman is a blessing; treat her right and she will bless the world.
Let’s speak up.
Let’s educate our communities.
Let’s mentor the next generation of girls.
Every time we raise awareness, we rescue another Adaeze somewhere.
Sometimes, telling the story is the first step to changing it.
© Elizabeth Akudo All Rights Reserved #EndChildMarriage #ProtectTheGirlChild #StopTheCycle #StoriesThatHeal #ElizabethAkudoWrites #NoToChildAbuse #EveryGirlDeservesAChildhood
Follow @Elizabeth Akudo
For more stories that touch hearts, open eyes, and inspire change.
