The Possibility of Ending Child Marriage in Africa
I faced a lot of abuse in my marriage. My husband was having an affair then he would beat me when he returned home. Whenever he was drunk, he would beat me for no reason. Every time he beat me, I would pack my clothes and go to my grandmother’s house but she did not help me. When I talked to my husband’s relatives, they would tell me that is how marriage is, and I should go back to my husband.
—Chanika B. of Mangochi district, Malawi married September 2013 when she was 15.
In sub-Saharan Africa, a staggering 40 percent of girls marry before age 18, and African countries account for 15 of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage. Seventy-seven percent of girls in Niger, and over 60 percent of girls in Central African Republic and Chad, marry before they turn 18. Without progress to prevent child marriage, the number of girls married as children will double by 2050, and Africa will surpass South Asia as the region with the highest number of child brides in the world.
Katherine, 16 years of age is married with her husband Jade, 50 years of age, a farmer from the Northern part of Nigeria. Helen married at 14 and said she would have chosen school over marriage, but her family was unable to afford paying her tuition fee. Katherine who now has a set of twins said life has not been easy and if given a second chance, she would have blatantly disagreed with her father who forced her into marriage at a very tender age.
“Getting married at a tender age took a lot of my childhood and forced me to motherhood when I know nothing about it. It is not a good experience for anybody even though there are lots of us who have been forced into early marriage to escape poverty. I always think my life is over when I don’t have a voice which can only come from having quality education.’’
Blessing J. from South Sudan has twelve siblings and neither of her parents is employed. She got married at the age of 13 because her father could not afford to pay her tuition fee. She was also forced into an early marriage with a 70 year old man to escape poverty.
“My mother had 12 of us, 8 females and 4 males. I am the last born of the family. My sisters were forced into early marriage of which I saw mine coming when I clocked 12. An old man (now my husband) came to our house to pay my dowry. I planned running away when I got to know he will marry me when I clock 13 but it was very difficult because I was being scolded by my sisters telling me the consequences. I accepted my fate and at 13 which was three years ago, I was forced into an early marriage as the eighth wife of my husband. I am 16 years old now and my husband is 74 years of age.”
Sarah’s story is almost the same as Blessing J, who got married at age 15 to a 75-year-old man from Kaduna, the Northern part of Nigeria. According to her, the man who is now her husband went to her uncles and paid a dowry of 80 cows to have her hand in marriage.
“The experience I had with marriage will forever remain with me growing up with terrible uncles who only care about money. My uncles fought me resisting marriage with a very old man, after they have received 80 cows for my dowry. They threatened and pressurized me that the survival of my other siblings is dependent on me and I must not fail the family being the first born of the family. This is the man old enough to be my grand-father. I was pushed to a wall that I gave up my own free will. I married him because they want him to constantly give them what to eat. It is a very sad experience but I have to live with it.”
Human Rights Watch research in Malawi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Yemen has found that intersections between gender discrimination and poverty; poor access to education and health services; customary practices; religious beliefs; and weak justice mechanisms fuel the practice of early marriage in Africa.
Mrs Epeyoung, a Team Lead for End Early Marriage Initiatives is not of a contrary opinion as she addressed poverty as a major problem causing early marriage in Africa. Putting a call through via whatsapp, she said poverty is commonly cited by girls and family members as driving decisions to marry young.
“For poor families, with little money even for food and basic necessities, marrying their daughter early is an economic survival strategy; it means one less child to feed or educate. Girls themselves may see marriage as a way out of poverty. Discriminatory gender norms in many places, including traditions that mean girls go to live with their husbands’ families, while boys remain with, and financially support, their parents, also contribute to perceptions that girls are economic burdens. Some families believe that giving their daughter away in marriage may give her a chance for a better life.
Dowry payment is a key driver of child marriage in South Sudan, where families see their daughters as sources of wealth. A marriage is sealed after a man and his family negotiates and pays a dowry to a woman’s family in the form of cattle, other animals, or, increasingly, money. This reminds me of the story of Anita who was forced to leave school to get married when she was 16 and in her second year of secondary school. The father said he does not have money to support her schooling, which she later discovered that the father had received 20 cows as dowry to get married to a 72 year old man. The mother pleaded on her behalf to finish school but the father disagreed because he can’t return dowry once it is taken.”
There are devastating consequences to early marriage such as maternal mortality, halted education, sexual and domestic violence among others. Many African countries have established 18 as the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls; weak enforcement has made these laws have little impact. And when asked for the way forward ending child marriage in Africa, Professor Jimi Edwards of Faculty of Education, University of Malawi said, “there is a need for comprehensive national strategies on child marriage and good coordination among government ministries and agencies to boost the effectiveness of government efforts and without this, government responses remain fragmented.
‘African Union should urge governments to develop comprehensive national strategies for combating child marriage, help share best practices regionally, and support programs to implement these strategies. And to the National Ministry of education, they should ensure girls’ have access to quality education, including secondary education, by; Committing the resources necessary to guarantee access to free, compulsory primary education for all girls and boys. Developing retention strategies, such as incentives for families to keep girls in school, offering scholarships, expanding school feeding programs, ensuring schools have adequate sanitation facilities, and offsetting the costs of secondary school by subsidizing or eliminating costs of uniforms, exams, and textbooks.’’Limited information about the rights of a girl child including , lack of access to services—especially legal assistance; discriminatory divorce, inheritance, and custody laws; and rejection from their own families—can leave many trapped in abusive marriages with no means of escape. There is need to provide access to information to parents, guardians, and community leaders about the harmful effects of child marriage, for example, by initiating a nationwide awareness campaign against child marriage, emphasizing the health risks of early pregnancy, the benefits of girls’ education, the law prohibiting child marriage, consequences for those who break the law, and the mechanism for reporting child marriage and obtaining assistance. By Olakunle Agboola
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The importance of reviews
Consumers trust online reviews. For some, it’s the first thing they check when considering a new business. They want to know how other customers feel about your products, services, hours, locations, and other features of your business.
of consumers search online and/or check the business web site before visiting a new business.1
of customers surveyed say they are influenced by online reviews.
1 Insights listed above are from Visa’s Digital Transformation Research, 2018 Maru/Matchbox survey.
Getting the best out of customer reviews
We’ve covered how important it is to create an online presence, and having excellent reviews is a part of that. No matter how polished your website and social feed are, feedback from your existing customers play an important role in helping you get new customers.
Six tips for tackling customer reviews
Ask customers for reviews: Customers are more likely to leave a review if asked. Let customers know which review sites are best for your business.
Stay prepared for new reviews: Most review sites can send a notification when your business receives a new review. This is handy because you can quickly and easily respond—especially if there’s a negative review.
Reply privately: Many review sites allow you to contact the reviewer directly. This can be a smart way to handle a customer concern, avoiding an extended public dispute.
Prioritize responding: Most review sites can send a notification when your business receives a new review. This makes it easy to can quickly respond with an appreciative and balanced response. Set aside time to say thanks to any customer that leaves a review.
What’s the best way to ask for reviews?
Final invoice: You could include a request for a review in your final invoice.
Web site or email: Make it easy for a customer to leave a review on your site, or include a link in one of your emails where customers can leave a review.
Physical location: If you have a physical location, you can always create posters or window stickers asking customers to leave reviews on your preferred sites.
Selling online and in person
Online sales
The ease of shopping online has created enormous opportunities for businesses large and small. Brick-and-mortar retailers can expand sales by offering 24/7 access to products. Online-only stores can build a presence while saving on retail store costs.
Ways to help your online store shine
Get organized: Organize products into logical categories. Use high quality photos, accurate descriptions, and updated prices/promotions.
Keep it simple: Avoid overloading your customers with buttons to click or pages to open. Ideally, a customer should be able to complete a purchase in 4-6 clicks.
Be consistent: Keep your branding (logo, colors, tone of voice) consistent. Your online store might be the only place your customers interact with your business.
Supply and distribution are key: Make sure you have a smooth supply and distribution process in place before you go live.
Test delivery: If you’re offering next-day delivery, test it before you launch, especially if working with a third-party distributor.
Embrace automation: Set up an automated email process for order confirmations, invoices and receipts, shipping notifications and feedback requests.
Stay vigilant: Check your security settings and reports regularly to stay ahead of new threats.
Schedule checkups: Set a schedule (weekly or monthly) for checking that products are up to date, prices are correct, and links are still active. Also, don’t forget to check that your security and payments subscriptions and certificates are up to date.
Analyze then tweak: Take time to pore over your site analytics and reporting. You might find that a particular page has a high bounce rate, only to discover that a button is inactive. With any website, constant tweaks and improvements are the key to success.
Spread the word: Offering customers sneak previews or advance discounts for upcoming sales are a couple of simple ways to get the word out about your online presence.
In-person payments
Offering the option to pay with a card gives consumers the convenience they expect.
Benefits of using Visa signage
Boosted reputation
Global customers are 3 to 5 times more likely to think a merchant is reputable.
Increased foot traffic
Customers are 2 to 3 times more likely to enter an unfamiliar store.
Repeat Customers
Customers are 2 to 5 times more likely to return for a repeat purchase.
MANAGING YOUR MONEY.
The basics of budgets
A budget tracks when and how you earn or spend money. It allows business owners to ensure that there are enough funds to pay expenses.
Budgeting
Monitor your sales/revenue, expenses, and profit on a monthly basis.
Your revenue: How much money is coming into your business?
Your expenses: Divide your expenses into fixed costs (those that don’t change from month to month, such as rent, salaries and insurance payments) and flexible expenses (costs that change, such as commissions).
Your profit: The difference between your revenue and expenses.
Your tracking: Sometimes the hardest part of a budget is tracking revenue and expenses against your goals on a daily, weekly and/or monthly basis.
Download a sample budget spreadsheet from practicalbusinessskills.com.
Tips for managing your cash flow
Build a cash reserve
The ability to quickly access cash is key for any business. Saving a portion of your sales could prep you for unexpected expenses or investment opportunities that pop up.
Open a credit line
You may be able to open a business credit line with a bank, credit union or other financial institution. This can help bridge the gap between revenue coming in and expenses you have to pay out.
Ask to pay suppliers over time
If you buy supplies from other businesses, you may be able to negotiate paying your suppliers or vendors on an extended timeline. More time to pay bills provides a cushion.
Give discounts on early payments
You may be able to entice customers to pay their invoices early if you offer a discount. While you’ll receive less money overall, you’ll get cash faster.
Funding your business
Getting funding
Many financial institutions offer loans for starting or running a small business. Be sure to shop around to compare interest rates, repayment terms and loan amounts.
When you apply for a loan, lenders may require you to show your business plan and a variety of financial documents. These could include bank statements and tax returns from the previous few years. If you’re starting a new business, your own finances and credit could be a factor in the lender’s decision.
Financial institutions: Your financial institution will likely have a variety of options to help you fund a business, including loans or business credit products. You’ll want to have a business plan, estimate of startup costs, and business projection completed to help a bank understand why offering you a loan is a good idea.
Alternative lenders: If funding from a bank isn’t available, you’ve still got options. You could explore crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending, or look into micro-lending. Alternative lenders could also include friends or family that are interested in investing in your business.
Investors can give you funding to start your business or help take it to the next stage. This type of funding may take the form of venture capital or angel investing.
Venture capitalists may offer loans to businesses in exchange for partial ownership and/or an active role in the company. Each venture capitalist and angel investor has their own criteria and requirements for making an investment. But no matter who you ask for an investment, be prepared for the investor to carefully review your business plan, finances and experience.
Using your own money may be an option. Perhaps you tap into your savings, money from your current job, or a retirement account. If you’re a homeowner, you may be able to use your home to take out a new loan.
Self-financing offers you the greatest control over your business, but it may be riskier.
How much funding are you going to need to launch your business? Get a clearer idea of what you’ll need by using our calculator.
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FIX YOURSELF FIRST.
My sister told me an interesting story. She said “A woman was on a plane that was almost crashing with her daughter and they were both gasping for air. The mum tried to fix the oxygen on her daughter first but she could not because she was equally gasping for breath. She tried and tried to no avail until she heard a voice in heart saying, fix yourself first.
Immediately she fixed her oxygen, she had enough strength to fix that of her daughter’s. As soon as it was fixed, her daughter also got back her strength and the both survived.
This is the story of most women today, we give our all to every one else leaving ourselves behind.
You serve every one in the house and leave little or nothing for yourself to eat, that is the old way. Share everything to every one as it is in the pot. If you fall sick, who fixes your house for you?
Do not stress yourself too much, most times women do all the work in the house leaving themselves so tired and worked out, when you fall, who fixes your home for you, tell me who?
You buy clothes for every one leaving your self ‘naked’ One day even your children will be ashamed of you because of your dressing, fix yourself up, sis.
You keep building the lives of every one around you, yet you are doing nothing about yourself, one day you will realize that you should have fixed yourself too.
The list goes on and on.
Where are you lacking?
It is time to fix yourself my sisters. I am doing same too.
It is ok to be ‘selfish’ some times.
It is ok to have a me time.
It is ok to crush on yourself.
Sisters, the only healing you might be needing right now is to get yourself fixed up.
Love you and hope this makes sense.
Sisters of Value.
Sisters helping sisters.
Let me here your comment in comment box .
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