Our Stories 11.pdf - Unicef

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britam and saw and she go and keep there and said that she will beat me. She started to ... Because I was afraid, that he's going to kill me, I accept that I am a ...
OUR STORIES –EPISODE 11 Narrator: Welcome to another edition of ‘Our Stories’. ‘Our Stories’ are true life accounts of what children have suffered in the hands of those who branded them as witches. My name is Abasifreke Moses Akpan. All of us were driven from our homes in Akwa Ibom State because we were branded witches by people who should protect us. We were picked up by the President of CRARN, Mr. Sam Ikpe Itauma. Today, you will listen to the story of another child. Testimony My name is Jane Ikpe Essien. I come from Ikot-esi Ikom in Eket L.G.A. I am 11years old. When I was like 4 years old, my mother said I will start going to school. I started going to school and I come back. My mother said that pastor have come to say that I am a witch. She started to ask me whether I am a witch; I said no. She asked me so much before I said no. Before she go and bring britam and saw and she go and keep there and said that she will beat me. She started to beat me. My father - since my mother gave birth to me, I don’t even see my father. And my mother started to beat me and say whether I am a witch. Before I said I am a witch. She asked me whether who gave to me before I said they were giving me in pineapple in our school. They start to beat me. The stepfather that my mother married again also put hand and beat me. So one day, my mother had forgotten about the witch. She always put me in the house and gave me food and I eat. If my stepfather comes, my mother will take me and go hide me. I always hide. Then my stepfather will come and find me and he will see me and take me and beat me. Before my stepfather came, my mother will go and beat me again because there’s a wound in my mother’s leg and she ask who eat her wound. I said it’s not me before she beat me and take saw to cut my face and cut my head, blood all over my

cloth I was wearing. Those people behind us run and come before my mother pursue those people, those people go. Before she abandoned me there, she said I should stay there. She didn’t take me to hospital to treat me. My senior sister came back from Lagos and come and see wound all over my body. My sister told my mother to take me to hospital. So she took me go treat and come back. My mother still took me again. I always stay in the house. So she came and pursued me again. I always walk in the road. The place I stay, market is always there. Like Saturday, we always go and sweep. Those people in that place will come and stay there and sell something. When they want to go, they will give us garri. Some of them will go to another place and go and stay, so me I will always go and stay with a mad (man). That mad man always gave me food and I eat. When those people give me fish, I will take, ground pepper and will take that garri and put in cold water and eat. One day, there’s one person. His name is Sunday. He always stayed there with me. He tell me that Sam Ikpe Itauma always give us food. So I see Sam Ikpe Itauma come and he ask me whether they throw me away from house before I say yes. He told me that he is coming back again. He went and came back again. He brought rice and yam. We are 3 people. He came and shared it for all of us. I take my own and go and give to that mad person that was there. That mad person cook for me, I also eat. Sam Ikpe Itauma came and took us to go to Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network Centre. Narrator: Can you believe that some of us actually lived in the bush when we were driven from our homes? Rita and her brother were rescued from a thick forest when the community wanted to kill them. Rita is not part of this discussion. You will hear from her later. Insert Discussion with Children on Life in the Bush Narrator: Listen to the testimony of another child.

Testimony My name is Deborah Obong Tobi. I come from Etebiku in Eket L.G.A. I am 10years old. I want to talk about how I was driven from home. One day when we were eating, so we finished eating. I said that I am not satisfied that they should give me more food. My stepmother said that I said I always go and dance in witchcraft world. She went and told my father. He called me and ask if I am a witch, I said no. He started beating me and said if I don’t say the truth, he’s going to kill me. Because I was afraid, that he’s going to kill me, I accept that I am a witch. They took me to church; the name of that church is New Covenant. The pastor prophesied that I am a witch. He said I am the one that took my father to witchcraft world. Because my father has broken his leg and he say that I am the one that broke my father’s leg. The pastor said that I should stay for 40 days dry fasting. When I stay from Monday to Sunday, they give me 2 oranges to eat. One day, they came and ask me where did you always dance? I said I am not a witch. They start beating me and say that if I don’t say the truth, they are going to take my hand in stone and throw me inside the sea that I will die. There’s one primary school and I say that is the place we always go and dance. They say OK that if I have tied somebody. I say yes that I have tied my brother. They start beating me and say if I will go and lose him and they asked me to go. I slept in that place. I wake up and say that I have loosed him that he’s not going to die. So I stayed for 40 days and my stepfather came and took me to my mother’s house and I was staying with my mother. My mother was not well and they took her to church. One day I saw my stepfather and pastor coming. I did not know that my brother has died. They came and asked me “Who is the one that killed your brother?” I said I don’t know the person that killed him. I don’t even know if he is dead. The pastor beat me. It’s another pastor. He beat me and said that I killed him, after I come and stay with my mother. He took me to church. I was sleeping. I sleep because I was hungry. Nobody gave me food. I start shouting that witch people have come to take me. The pastor came out and

said that I am telling the truth. He prayed for me and he gave me food that night and I ate. After, he came and caught me. He came and took rope and tied my leg and my hand and start beating me. He sent people to go and call my stepfather. He said my stepfather should abandon me that if he takes me to that house again, I will destroy everything in that house. My stepfather said he does not want me again. I want to pass and I saw one man calling me. That man asked me “Are you a witch?” I said yes that they have sent me out of the house. He said that I should enter that backyard, that I will see a place that children are living. I should also join them and live. That is how I came to Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network Centre (CRARN). Narrator: You have been listening to ‘Our Stories’. Please tune in this same time next week for another edition of the programme. My name is Abasifreke Moses Akpan. Thanks to Uncle Tony Okofu for his assistance and to UNICEF for supporting the programme. The programme was produced by Auntie Mercy Njoku.