Last week I had a meeting with Martin. Our meetings usually consist of updates on what’s happening with Unseen Stories both here and in Benin. He tells me about any new children who have received scholarships and I tell him about progress with screenings and so forth. This particular meeting he had a story to share about a news report he saw in Benin.
An 11 year old girl (I’ll call her “Nadia”) was living as a domestic servant to a woman in her early 30s (a cultural practice known as Vidomegon). We’re not sure how long Nadia had been living / working there but we do know she was being mistreated. One day Nadia stole food (she was not being properly fed) and as a result was severely beaten. Several days later she had to steal food again and this time when her boss caught her, Nadia was beaten all night. A neighbor girl who knew Nadia heard the beatings that night and informed her boss. (This neighbor girl was also a Vidomegon, but was being treated fairly). The neighbor girl’s boss went to the house and found Nadia badly beaten. Rather than confronting Nadia’s boss herself, the woman left the house and went directly to inform the police. She insisted that the police follow her to the house to see Nadia. The police finally agreed and when they went to the house they saw the severity of the situation and apprehended Nadia’s boss. The amazing thing about the neighbor woman is that she broke cultural boundaries by becoming a witness for police in order to send Nadia’s boss to prison. She even went on national television to tell the story. Nadia’s boss claimed it was the first time she had beaten Nadia, however the neighbor woman stood up for Nadia saying that it was not the first time. Standing up like that is not something that is easily done in this context. Thankfully, due to both the neighbor girl and woman taking a stand, Nadia’s boss is now in prison. Nadia is recovering in the hospital – she nearly lost an eye during the beatings.
It sure takes courage to do that. It’s great that Unseen Stories is working to raise consciousness so that ignorance and fear will not prevail.
Dear Kaitlyn,
It has been a long time since we have spoken but thank you for sharing this story. I still receive the Unseen Stories e-mails but this one really spoke to me. Thank God for that woman’s actions taken to help “Nadia”. It is wonderful to know that she is in the healing process and that her abuser is being given a sentence. Thank you for the work you all do for the children of Benin. I hope to one day be able to help children as well. Keep up the good work and hopefully your spirits of kindness, bravery and compassion will continue to spread.
[...] Nadia, an eleven-year-old Vidomegon girl, worked for a 30-year-old woman that denied the child food, leading her to steal from her employer. When the was discovered, the employer beat Nadia. A few days later when Nadia once again stole food to appease her hunger, her employer began to beat her – a beating that the young girl endured through out the night until the police came and rescued her. [...]