2019 Edition Vol 6 Issue 21 DIGITAL

LETTERS
Ask Aunt Silvia
Dear Aunt Silvia,
I am having serious family problems
with my husband over our 16-year old
daughter.
Thank you for your attention.
I am having serious family
problems with my husband
over our 16-year old
daughter. She is very brilliant,
academically and her greatest
wish is to study and become
an engineer, but my husband
thinks she should marry early
and start a family, according to
our tradition. In fact, I heard
from his family source that
he is in a discussion with a
potential groom to marry our
daughter. Since our daughter
got a hint of this development,
she has been very sad and
this has clearly affected her
performance in school. Please,
I need your advice.
Akong
(Bor, South Sudan)
socially, psychological) to her
husband. She will not need to
carry a chain on the neck to
prove her slavery condition.
In many third world countries,
where poverty prevents
families from offering
qualitative education to
their children, every parent
who can afford to send their
children to school should
not only be praised, but they
must be equally proud of such
an achievement. I am more
worried about your daughter
because in the event where
children are denied education,
in most cases, girls suffer most.
These girls have no choice
than to be forced into an
unwanted and loveless child
marriage.
Relationship Quotes
“Whenever you’re
in conflict with
someone, there is
one factor that can
make the difference
between damaging
your relationship and
deepening it. That
factor is attitude.”
― William James
“When dealing with
people, remember
you are not dealing
with creatures of
logic, but creatures of
emotion.”
― Dale Carnegie
“Let us be grateful
to the people who
make us happy; they
are the charming
gardeners who make
our souls blossom.”
– Marcel Proust
Dear Akong,
Thank you so much for your
mail. I can fully understand
your worries because
personally, I know education
is power. It is the best weapon
you can give to a child to fight
for their future. Irrespective
of your religion or culture, by
discouraging your daughter
to go to school, your husband
is sacrificing her happiness,
health, and future. Worse still,
he is indirectly making her
a future slave (economically,
I am more
worried about
your daughter
because in
the event
where children
are denied
education, in
most cases,
girls suffer
most.”
Yes, in most cases, tradition
encourages men to take care
of their new wives, but that
makes the young married
girls even more vulnerable.
Their new husbands often
treat them as their properties
without rights. I am not trying
to scare you, but I can assure
you that after the loveless
marriage, your daughter’s
dream will be shattered and
her life aspirations completely
disoriented.
To many parents, giving away
their daughter in marriage
brings economic benefits
to the family in terms of
dowry, but that equally nails
the life and future of the
girl in question. Most of the
child brides are exposed to
aggressive domestic and sexual
exploitation and violence
in the hands of their new
husbands. The newly married
girls are turned into sex slaves,
who are expected to produce
many children. Sadly, they
might die in the process of
manufacturing children like
incubator machine. For sure,
due to their youthful nature,
your girl could face maternal
mortality and other medical
dangers associated with early
birth.
I suggest you explain all these
to your husband. Let him
know the danger he might
subject his daughter to, by
way of early marriage. I am
happy your daughter knows
what she wants in life and
that she’s determined to make
a career in life. Convince
your husband to give her this
opportunity. Definitely, by so
doing, you both are creating
great education and social
opportunities for her, which
you as parents will surely
benefit from. Good luck!
Yours,
Aunt Silvia
www.katakata.org
2019 Issue 21 Kata kata cartoon magazine
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