African Elephants Save Girl, 11 Years, From Forced Marriage
A Kenyan schoolgirl has revealed how she hid in a forest habited by elephants as she made an escape from a marriage suitor two and a half times her age.
She gathered all her inner strength and courage to cross a crocodile infested river near her home deep in the arid Masai warrior tribe country with her father and her wannabe husband in hot pursuit.
Betty Lason, now 17 and still in primary school, said recently that she vividly remembers the incident six years ago because she executed her plan one evening after returning to her new husband’s home from day-long sheep and goat herding in the bush under the scorching sun.
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For a girl who had never been to school and typical of her tribal custom where forced child marriage is still practiced in spite of a government ban, she was a wife for only a few days before she decided to “walk into the unknown”, through a forested elephant sanctuary.
Her abusive husband was dead drunk that night -as usual- but still went for her in his stupor together with other villagers. Betty trekked 50 km to Nanyuki, the nearest town, to seek an education instead, as she said in her own words. Later, she was admitted to a girls’ rescue mission school.
When it became darker, however, she spent the night atop a tree. “I decided to climb a tree and hide there. I chose a tree that is not a favorite of elephants. I knew them since we used to receive lessons on animals and the trees they prefer,” she says. But two adult elephants gave her company by sheltering under it that night.
Her husband and his group, meanwhile, saw the elephants and were scared away by their sight. Betty recalls that she trembled and panicked that they will find her from her hideout. But at dawn the elephants went their way and Betty, strong-willed and ever courageous, continued on her journey.
She now goes to school, a chance she may not have had, had she opted to remain a pitiful 11 year old wife. The elephants may not have known it, but they surely saved the girl.
Image credits: Exfordy at Flickr and Gudi&Cris at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
[...] by elephants as she made an escape from a marriage suitor two and a half times her age.” - EcoWorldly Tags: Africa, Kenya, [...]