Once upon a very close time, in a village with
young women of 24-31 having 5-9 children respectively was an International Organization
who decided to put up an outreach to assist women reduce their rate of having
unwanted pregnancies.
One of the coordinators of the outreach with a
look of pity and tears in her heart watched a woman (15 pregnancies-as she can
remember, 2 fetal death,3 abortions and 9 living children) from the south west,
pleaded with a health worker for money #200,(local currency) to make her way
back home as she took a long walk just to access free family planning services
and is too tired to make such walk again back home.
Aside my primary assignment which is to provide services
for this women I realized that this woman and many more out there needed help
with information not on a need to know basis but also help that would assist to
meet their unmet needs.
At the time of counseling I told the counselor I
would take up this myself as I am interested in this case.
Madam what is your name? She, with a smile told me
her name and I smiled back so I guess she remembered her first love, oh how
sweet these memories are, I thought.
In like manner, I asked for her bio- data and histories, same smile, same
pleasant answer. Wasn’t gonna be a bad interview any ways I thought to myself.
So.. Ma’am, how many children do you have…? 9 (a
4 weeks baby in her arms), I didn’t even notice until the baby cried cos she
was sooo small. Never mind my mum used to tell me to be very observant that
this would help me in my husband’s home but you see I try not to notice only
the big things but the tiny ones as well.
Ok ma, how many times have you being pregnant,
hmm at this stage the beautiful counselor has just poured salt on a healing
wound…I noticed my client faced down. What happen to the voice? It disappeared.
What happened to the smile, she threw it back to the father of the baby remembering
the day he promised to buy her chicken for some fresh pepper soup but children’s
burden won’t let him love his wife as the flesh willth.
Did I say something wrong, with a little blink of
an eye, this is what I do every day, was I sleep-talking??? no I couldn’t have…this
is just one of them women who had no say to her reproductive health, who at the teenage days got pregnant for a person
that would not dare take responsibilities for her pregnancy else the father
will kill him, who couldn’t even afford a female
condom or the post pill, who was denied her sexual right, who was not
equipped with information to make an informed choice.
With tears down her eyes, the story begins…
Madam, this na my first time here, I never do any
family planning before. I carry belle when I dey primary 6, I born the pikin as
the brother say hin no sabi me, but I still dey see am. (I took in when I was
in primary 6 and my boyfriend denied responsibility of the baby)
After 3 years I come marry, I born 4 pikin for
the man, but he die because he sick.
As I no get money take care of my children, I get
one man friend wey dey come my house, every time wey he come he go buy food for
me and my children. The day wey I go hin house after 2 weeks I come get belle.
After I come marry again I born three children
but this one wey I carry for hand na mistake, my body no strong, once I do am,
one time belle go enter.(I easily get pregnant just at a strike)
...What can a counselor do, but to maintain eye
contact and listen closely without interruption.
Ok ma how old is this baby? she is one month and
2 days old, the woman replies.
Unfortunately, today I just couldn’t help this
woman, her baby aint up to 6 weeks, no devices would be given so I told her to
return in 3 weeks, still maintaining eye contact, my client started crying,
whaling and sobbing,
Did I say anything wrong again, what seems to be
the problem.
Madam abeg (Nigerian please) I no go fit go house,
I don tire to dey carry belle, I dey miss my period almost every 6 month, please
I will follow you to your office till my baby is 6 weeks, daddy biliki no go
use condom, ye ey, I don die ooo.
Omg…I knew I was interested in this case.
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