A 15-year-old Tanzanian girl, whose dream was to become a doctor, had her life shattered when she was sold into marriage by her father, enduring horrific sexual abuse until she managed to escape with her infant daughter.
A Promising Future Stolen
Latifa, from a family of six in Tanzania, was a dedicated pupil who adored her education, particularly science and physics. She harboured a strong ambition to work in medicine. "Every time I walked past the large hospital in my hometown, I thought that one day I'll be working in there in a white coat," she told the charity Plan International. Her life, however, was far from easy; she frequently went to bed hungry, managing only two meals a day.
Her world collapsed when her father abruptly informed her she would not be returning to school. Instead, she was to be married to a 35-year-old man named Salum, who had paid her father for her. Confused and distraught, Latifa was given a purple sequined wedding dress by her stepmother, who explained the marital duties expected of her. Latifa wept for an entire week, unable to comprehend her fate.
A Life of Isolation and Abuse
After a henna ceremony, Salum took her by bus to the capital, Dar es Salaam. The journey was marked by silence and tears from the terrified girl. Upon arrival at their new home, the sexual abuse began immediately. "He took off my dress and laid me down on the mattress. What happened afterwards hurt and felt weird and wrong. I was just sad," Latifa recalled.
Her days were spent in solitude, performing domestic chores while Salum worked as a car mechanic. The abuse escalated when he began returning home drunk. "He beat me and forced me to have sex again and again," she said. After nine months of this ordeal, a pregnancy culminated in an 11-hour labour. She gave birth to a daughter, Zainabu, at a hospital built by Plan International.
Abandoned and Rescued
Following the birth, Salum's attitude turned cold, and he soon kicked Latifa and their two-month-old baby out onto the streets. She returned to their flat to find her possessions dumped outside and the door locked. Salum had vanished without explanation. For two months, Latifa and her baby survived by begging for food at the Burunguri market, sleeping on the ground with only a thin cloth for comfort.
Her fortune changed when a woman named Happy rescued her. "Since I've been living with Happy, life has been a little better. Now I'm not alone anymore," Latifa shared. With support, she has now begun to earn her own income through Plan International's community savings scheme. Her hope is firmly fixed on her daughter's future. "I'll do what I can to ensure that she gets to go to school and she will not be married to a man against her will," Latifa vowed.
