Will she ever be free?

The scream in my neighborhood woke me up one morning this time it was not the screaming or shouting of thief! thief!!, as it was the usual sound that wakes everyone in my area, rather it was the voices of my neighbors shouting, saying that serve her right, please call the police she and her husband need to be arrest and face the law.

I ran out to know what happen and what I saw shocked me because I was guilty of not reporting the case to the appropriate authority. Guess what? It was the lifeless body of Ada, a 15 years old house help of Madam Cash, her husband, the night watchers and the police with people surrounding them.

I said to myself that this is the end to modern slavery because the worst has just happen. Ade the teenager house help is dead; she committed suicide because she cannot take it anymore.

This is how it all started; Madam Cash runs a local bar where you can find young girls parading themselves as commercial sex workers and as bait to lure more customers to patronize her bar. She is a troublesome woman married to a good for nothing husband. Ever since, he lost his job as a banker she took the responsibility as head of the house.

Each year, she travels to the village and when coming back, she comes with several young village girls with a promise them and their family a better and secured life in the city by sending them to school while the help her run her business. Not until the come before they will understand that they will become sex workers to pay the huge amount to madam cash as payment for bring them to the city.

Madam Cash is well known and connected to some corrupt police officers. Therefore, she always boost of it and that nobody can report her or get her arrested, but nobody is above the law. She never knew that one day she would meet her end.

One day as I was coming back from work I meet Ada crying with bloodstains on her body. I was touched, so I decided to confront her and find out what happened to her. This time I said to myself enough of madam cash and was ready to report her to my organization a non-governmental that helps young girls suffering violence.

The fear of Madam Cash never allowed Ade to speak up and I tried my possible best to find out what really happened. I never knew that my encounter with Ade was going to the last I would ever see her again. It was after her death I found out she was pregnant for Madam Cash husband. He was constantly raping her and threatens her not to say anything or else he would kill her. I now remember that I saw blood stains on Ada’s body.

The next day Ada took her own life, she drank a local poison known as (Otapiapia) use in killing rats because she knows she will never be free. She chooses to free herself from the pains and violent act of her guardians who promised her aging parents in the village a better life.

I cried heavily until I had no tears running down my checks anymore, am guilty I had the opportunity to save Ada’s life, I knew but did nothing.

Today, if you look around there are many Adas suffering in silence likewise there are many Madam Cash destroying the lives of young girls. It is up to you and me to Know and Say No to Gender based violence and modern day slavery.