Way back in 2010, I was a young energetic girl, 5th Child of My Father.
I was a student in one of these Prominent Basic Schools in Wa. Mostly, when it’s to the end of the month, Term I felt embarrassed and usually run from school because getting a sanitary pad was a problem every month and secondly paying for exam fee of Ghc20.

Since I begun my basic Education in the Heart of Wa [Dodoo Street] I enrolled in a public Christian School as a Muslim girl, my Hijab was important to me though I found myself in a Christian School, as a child who lost my father at a very tender age, I was left to faith, my mother introduced me to sachet water business and that exposed me to a lot of men in the heart of Wa market, some used to touch my ass on the street with some attempting to hold my boobs before they can buy my water, who can I run to, if I return without sales the house will be hot for me, so they kept touching my parts.

One-day, I was quiet in class, a teacher noticed my silence, he continued with the lesson, by then it was an ICT lesson and I was far from understanding issues in it because of the absence of the logistics it required.

My teacher invited me immediately after the class and asked what the problem was.

I told him my story, I told him the market took so much of my energy including other Domestic activities, I explained how men harass me in town and he expressed shock.

He suggested he could get me out of the market and asked what he needed to do. The next day he took the address of our house and visited, he sat with my mom and tried to sort things out but my mom insisted she was training me and didn’t want me idling so she thought selling water was the best. She added that I wasn’t better than those selling in the market.

Few Months later I became due for my basic Education Examination, three months to the period, my teacher suggested I halt market sales of Water adding that he would buy all the water anytime I’m set to go to the market, as a result, on Monday to Thursday he meets me close to the road and buys every thing. This left my mother suspicious, one day my mother Informed me she saw my teacher buying water from and threatened to take actions, she stopped sending me to sell afterwards.

By then it created a space for me to study and with time I received some number of Sanitary Pads from my Teacher, he urged me to be careful with dating, signaling it’s effect on my Education. Days came by and we wrote our exams. I received my Results afterwards and was placed in a Senior High School in Lawra.

I stayed there but couldn’t Stop thinking of him, sometimes i had to go on an exeat to call my teacher, I needed to hear from him but at a point he kicked against that idea and advised that I focus on my studies, he urged that I could always say hi during vacation periods. I went by his words just to make him happy but not because I was happy with that. He paid my fees at SHS for all three years after I had informed him of my situation.

Time went by and within a twinkle of an eye, three years was up, I wrote my exams and left school. A mate of mine by then was fortunate to have been employed, we were very good friends because I was part of the school’s cadet team with her, she Joined her dad in the forces and became a Navy Officer, I got in contact with her and she assured she would help me if vacancies were ready, she said she would contact her dad to help me. I thought it was a joke till one day I was told to apply as fire officer online and submit the Records to her, I did and a few weeks later, I was called by a strange number and invited to Accra, I called my teacher to inform him and he advised me to take up the chance,he gave me money for Upkeeps and transportation.

I went for the training and we couldn’t get back to each other for some time because my phone was taken from me.

We were later given some Allowances as the training progressed. I couldn’t hold my tears after what my mate did for me, I remembered Two people in my life, my school teacher and my colleague back at school, this triggered me to be grievous with the path I took. We ended the program and fortunately I was posted to a district in Upper West Region.

I went to Wa, stayed there for two weeks, I called Mr. Simon and told him I missed him, he came over to our place and took me to his house, we discussed several plans, to my surprise he admitted he likes me, I told him I wasn’t getting young and wanted to settle down so he agreed to meet my parents. We went and the problem they had with him was that he wasn’t one of us and should convert, he was also a devoted Christian so it became a problem. Some of my relatives were In support of his decision adding that if he would allow me to continue with my faith then it’s fine by them. He consulted a colleague of his who urged him to marry me in court. He thought of it and suggested it with me, According to his friend, there are several ways to marry, in the religious way and in legal way.

He sided with the other relatives of mine and we begun a legal marriage Process, I loved the idea because I felt that system of marriage would protect me, no rivals. I quickly agreed and some of my relatives signed and witnessed, his relatives equally witnessed. The Marriage Came Though and I moved inn with him.
We have since been happy till now.

Source: Upperwestmedia.net