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| Mirriam Michelo narrating her story |
WHEN 13-year-old Mirriam Michelo was forced to marry a much older widower with children older than her; her dreams of holding a syringe and wearing a white uniform as a nurse were immediately shattered.
As if that was not enough, her parents, her supposed-protectors were in the forefront of pushing her into the early marriage.
Mirriam thought her mother was joking when she informed her about her impending marriage.
She later shared this information with her teacher who discouraged her from getting married at the expense of her future.
She tried to resist by telling her parents that she wanted to continue with her education; instead she was confined in the house where she was counselled on how to handle a man in marriage.
"This was in 2003 and I was in Grade seven, each time I asked about school, I was beaten and told school was for boys and not for girls,"
"I was emotionally affected during this period because I did not want to get married. I just wanted to go back to school and complete my education so that I could realise my dream of becoming a nurse," recounted Mirriam.
To make it worse, her future husband kept visiting her parents as he sought her hand in marriage.
Her parents grew increasingly frustrated with her refusal to get married and eventually they started beating her in the hope that she would change her mind.
As this went on, Mirriam developed a deeper yearning for school especially that her friends would visit her.
"One day my friends from school came to visit me and I used this opportunity to write a letter to my teacher and I explained everything that I was going through,"
"I learnt that my teacher took my letter to Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) where he reported the matter," she said.
As life sometimes frowns on people and so does it also favour some, the YWCA working together with the Victim Support Unit (VSU) from the Zambia Police rescued Mirriam from her unfair confinement.
YWCA took her back to school and supported her until she completed her Grade twelve. "Had it not been for YWCA Zambia and VSU, I would have not been here today because maybe I would have been a mother taking care of my children and my husband without completing school," said Mirriam.
"I am happy I was saved from becoming a child bride and taken back to school, but there are many other young girls who are going through the same kind of thing," she said.
Miriam story is a true reflection of how society still views education for girls as not being important. Her story came to light during the high level debate on child, early and forced marriage that was held on the margins of the Human Rights Council to the United Nations in Geneva which Director-General Mr Michael Moller, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Babatunde Osotimehin and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Navy Pillay among others attended.
During the interactive dialogue, Ms Michelo was asked what her wish was; to which she responded that she would love to realise her dream of becoming a nurse but her parents did not have money to send for further education.
That is when Dr Osotimehin announced that UNFPA would offer Mirriam a scholarship to Masters Level for her to realise her dream.
This is according to a statement from Zambia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva, Encyla Sinjela to Ministry of Gender and Child Development permanent Secretary Daisy N'gambi.
Ms Sinjela said "this month, at another side event, I together with Ms Michelo participated in a panel discussion on the same at which I informed the audience of the efforts of the First Lady Christine Kaseba Sata in fighting the vice and national strategic plan that was adopted among others."
She also said Government's involvement of traditional leaders and churches was noted as best practice which should be followed by other countries.
Meanwhile, Mirriam said children are supposed to be protected from early marriages because it destroys all plans they might have of growing up.
"We need laws to be put in place to protect girls from becoming child brides. And I hope my story will encourage policy makers to work harder to ensure that the girl child is protected from early marriages,"
"One day they [girl child] can be able to do the same kind of work for others as well and be able to make decisions like policy makers do," she hopes.
In June, many of these same policymakers will gather for the next Human Rights Council session, where child marriage will be a central issue.
It is hoped that as they debate the best way to end the practices of child, early and forced marriages, they will remember Mirriam's story: her anguish, her uncertainty and ultimately, her joy at being given a second chance to fulfill her dream when sadly so many girls in Zambia are not so fortunate.
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