Tradition turns Geita girls into household servants

GEITA: It is early Monday morning, when most children are busy preparing to go to school. While some are upbeat over the new schooling week, and are hurriedly preparing for school, others are being lackadaisical; they are doing things slowly as they are angry that their sleep has been cut short by parents who had to wake them up early so that they do not become late for school.

At the same time, life is not rosy for the other side of life, that of the less privileged who because of one reason or the other, cannot attend school. Among such unfortunate children is Annastanzia Shija a thirteen-year-old girl from Lwamgasa Village in Geita Region.

While her peers are collecting bags, books and pens, ready for school, she takes a shovel, hammer and other tools before accompanying her mother, Leticia Masanja, to a nearby small-scale gold mine. And, her duty is to help her mother crush and sieve sand dust for gold ore.

“I have never been to school. My brother is the only one who goes to school. I take care of my siblings as well as attending to other household duties and accompanying my mother to crush stones for gold ore,” she said in an interview with the ‘Daily News’ at the mine.

At the age of four years, Annastanzia started taking care of her young brother, as her mother, went to attend her daily activities at the small-scale mine.

After a while, the innocent girl engaged in household duties, fetching water, collecting firewood and cooking for the family and her elder brother who attends school.

Though aware of the need for education in life, Annastanzia has no hope of going to school since her contributions to the household are valued more than her personal education.

The innocent girl wishes to go to school and join others in learning. “I do admire some of the school girls that I come across especially when I go to the river to fetch water and collect fire wood,” she added.

“Our norms require girls to be champions in household duties, taking care of family members before they get married. This helps them to become good wives in future,” she notes.

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The report on Early Pregnancy, Child Marriage, and Their Impact on Girls’ Education in Tanzania of December 6, 2015e, indicates that practices such as Unyago, a ceremony conducted to usher girls into adulthood by some ethnic groups in Tanzania, are to blame in cutting the young innocent girls’ dreams short.

The report by Washington and Lee University School of Law 2015, International Human Rights Practicum further indicates that, one of the primary purposes of this ceremony is to educate young girls on how to be a good wife. Girls learn household duties, such as cooking and cleaning, as well as how to take care of their husbands.

“Sex is also taught as a component in this traditional ceremony. It is aimed at reinforcing gender roles within families and place women in a subservient position in relation to their husbands. In addition, girls tend to seek husbands immediately after the ceremony,” reads the part of the report.

The mother of Annastanzia, Ms Masanja said that making her to go to school delays the innocent girl from learning and getting life skills that will help her to be a good wife.

She believes that Annastanzia will become a responsible housewife once she is married, as she would be able to take up and handle household chores.

Despite strict policies put up by the government to ensure every child attends school, the majority of girls, like Annastanzia, are still tied up in the agony of traditional norms as parents isolate them from schools.

(Education law not policy) clearly states that the parent or parents of every child compulsorily enrolled for primary education shall ensure that the child regularly attends the primary school at which he is enrolled until he completes primary education.

It further elaborates that every pupil enrolled at any school shall regularly attend the school at which he is enrolled until he completes the period of instruction specified in respect of the level of education for the attainment of which he is enrolled at the school.

The ‘Daily News’ ten-day survey revealed that majority of school age girls attended household duties such as fetching water, collecting fire-wood and looking after younger siblings during school days while others attended classes.

Lazaro Shija, an elder at Lwamgasa Village says that many families in Geita force girls into household duties with belief that they will grow to become good wives and provide them dowry.

“Many families come up with false excuses about girls’ education; some complain about the cost of education, distance to school, poverty and sometimes violence to girls, but the reality is girls’ contribution to house hold is more valuable than their personal education,” he said.

Mr Shija added that despite having improved access to both primary and secondary education, the majority of families do not value education as an important tool for their girls’ future.

The government also abolished fees in primary and secondary schools to allow parents and guardians send all children to school.

A Ward Executive Officer at Nyakumbu in the District, Mr Simon Andrew says the tribes in the areadon’t value education for their girls.

Mr Andrew pointed out that tribes in his area see girls as people good for household duties, early marriages and giving birth.

“Education is lower on their priority list for girls. Instead, theyvalue boys’ education to such an extent that they work to ensure they keep them in school,” he added.

The report on Early Pregnancy says that many Tanzanians view child marriages as a way to secure financial security for themselves and their daughters.

“The practice where the groom’s family pays the bride price, is a powerful incentive for many families to have their daughters marry. In most circumstances, the groom’s family negotiates with the bride’s family regarding the two distinct pieces that make up the bride price: livestock and money,” it reveals.

In some villages, the livestock portion of the bride price may be standardised while the families negotiate the monetary portion.

According to the report, the factors taken into consideration in negotiation include: the girl’s ethnic group, family wealth, and other cultural and social considerations, such as the girl’s skin complexion, whether she has undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and whether the girl has engaged in pre-marital sex or other acts that are seen as undermining family honor.

Zakayo Gati a resident of Nkome Ward in Geita says that educating boys was more valuable as they get jobs to support the family whereas girls just add expenses to the family.

Instead, girls are exposed to household chores. “We put them into household chores mainly to prepare them for their future as wives but most importantly to give us dowry when they get married,” he says.

Surveyed schools in the district indicate that girls’ dropout rate was high compared to boys. The reasons are attributed to traditional norms among the majority of families in the district.

One Bakari Adam, a teacher in Nkome Ward says that majority of girls are forced out of school to attend household chores at home as others go for marriage.

“Many girls do not complete primary education. Parents pull them out of school either to marry off or involve them in household chores, fetching water, cooking and looking after younger siblings,” he says.

Young girls are usually expected to assist in housework throughout the school year, while boys usually come home, work on school homework, and then have leisure time. Housework on top of farm work reduces the amount of time a girl can devote to education.

Sometimes families will choose to keep boys in school while girls remain at home to work because an educated boy is seen as more valuable than an educated girl.

Several mothers expressed equal desire for their son and daughters to be educated, while one mother expressly stated that choosing one over the other would be bad parenting.

According to the World Bank Report, less than one-third of girls who enter lower secondary school graduate.

Also, 2017 Human Rights Watch report indicates that more than 40 per cent of Tanzania’s adolescents are left out of quality-lower secondary school education despite the government’s positive decision to make lower secondary education free.

Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SGDs) calls for inclusive and quality education for all to promote lifelong learning.

The goal aim at achieving equality and sustainable development by 2030 requiring stepping up efforts at all fronts.

According to Geita District Schools’ Logistics Officer, Ms Neema Emmanuel, the government has made major progress in increasing access to education at all levels.

“We have policies that state the need for every girl to attend school,” she said, adding that one of the strategies is to improve enrolment rates especially for girls.

According to Plan Intentional, education is the right of every girl and also key to transforming both her life and that of her community.

Girls without education are denied the opportunity to develop their full potential and to play a productive and equal role in their families, their societies, their country and their world at large.