The Price of Bondage
“We are trusting you with our daughter….”, Barbara’s stone-faced father never minced his words, “…because we know and trust our precious daughter’s intelligence and judgment.”
On hearing her father’s vote of confidence, Barbara tried not to smile, strictly maintaining the serious demeanor that her aunts had emphasized during one of her bridal lessons in the weeks before the ceremony, “Whatever happens, do not flinch. Do not sneeze, cough, clear your throat, scratch or fidget. Even if a large fly explores your nostrils and dances on your eyelids, remain steady. Lower your gaze and do not look at anybody in the face. Maintain an honorable facial expression at all times. Do not show your teeth, do not smile and whatever happens do not laugh. Do not re-adjust your posture, even if you begin to feel numb. You must present yourself as an elegant, healthy, pure, honest, confident, upright, obedient and worthy bride. Do not show any signs of self-consciousness, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel in your bridal attire. Your sisters will pay close attention to your attire and will see to it that your appearance remains immaculate right through the entire ceremony. If you break a sweat, your sisters will discretely pat you dry with their handkerchiefs. Remember, first impressions are extremely important. How you present yourself during this ceremony will significantly influence the way your in-laws treat you throughout your marriage. Please do not shrug this off as a mere traditional annoyance; you must respect this ceremony as an important opportunity to win the hearts and minds of your new in-laws who will be actively involved in your new life. You are not representing yourself during this ceremony; you are representing your family and our entire clan. Make us proud.”
Barbara was about to recall her favorite part of that ceremony; the part where her father asserted that his daughter was “not being given away in exchange for cattle” and that he would exert his parental authority if he ever discovered that his daughter was being treated in a manner that fell short of the ancient mutual respect enjoyed between the clan of the bride and the clan of the groom. Her blissful daydreaming session was interrupted by the distinct sound of her husband’s drunken shuffle as he stumbled his way across the dusty courtyard towards the front door. Panic struck as she snapped back into the present; the sacrilege in David’s inebriated remixes of hymns warned her of impending threats of violence.
She quickly carried her infant son into the adjacent hut, and asked her visiting nieces to keep him entertained so that he does not become aware of his father’s drunken ways. By the time she returned to the main hut, her husband was leaning through the front door. The stench of crude gin immediately took control of the hut. David had effectively swopped the sanctity of their home for the immorality of a bar. “Where are you coming from?” his question was filled with disgust as it dribbled out of his mouth along with a drooling mixture of saliva and gin. His shirt was wet, filthy and torn.
Barbara deduced that he had been involved in a drunken fight and as a result of losing that fight; his ego was in a poorer state than his shirt. As Barbara quickly tried to come up with a disarming answer, she clasped the rosary around her neck and prayed that David would pass out before saying another word. She hid around the corner in the passageway. Although she had become all too familiar with his drunken words, Barbara was still filled with dread at his threats of violence.
Barbara’s prayers were not answered; David didn’t pass out. He let out a large belch, before mumbling, “You woman, I asked you a question. Why have you not answered? It seems you are hiding something from me. Have you been cheating on me again? Instead of cheating on me, why don’t you just leave? All it takes is a simple transaction called a bride price refund. If you want to leave, I shall demand every last animal that I paid to your people…”
Barbara responded quickly, in a firm but respectful tone, “I have never cheated on you, David.”
A long silence followed. Barbara shut her eyes clasped her rosary tighter as she hoped and wondered, “Maybe he’s passed out? Am I safe now?”
David retched and the most horrible noise was followed by a putrid smell. As she peeped around the corner, she saw David sprawled across the living room floor, face-down in his own vomit. She paused and wondered how she had ended up trapped in such an unhappy marriage, with a man whose presence was bearable only when he was unconscious.
She knelt down and began cleaning up David’s mess as her shoulders rubbed the tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Barbara yearned for her fathers’ promised protection. “If only you were still alive, Dad” she sobbed, “I would not be trapped in this mess”. She thought back to the good old days and sullenly processed how the greed of men had slowly ruined her life.
As newlyweds, Barbara and David were a couple to be envied. Life was too good to be true; the couple prospered financially as they expected their first born. David began frequenting a bar, celebrating good times and successes with his friends. Unfortunately, those celebrations became a daily routine. David crossed the line into alcoholism before he even realized that such a line existed. To most observers, their marriage still appeared to be perfect despite David’s dirty little secret. What most people didn’t appreciate was that Barbara was single-handedly holding that marriage together. She ran the home, managed their finances and fiercely defended her husband from all criticism as she did her best to keep up appearances. That is, until her father died.
Barbara’s father was a man of virtue; a wealthy yet humble man who had earned the respect of people across the entire district. When he died, Barbara’s father left her mother with more challenges than anyone had ever anticipated. A complicated, drawn out process of traditional inheritance left Barbara’s mother penniless and bitter. Barbara was left without the functional support structure she had trusted as conditional surety before entering into marriage. In the years that followed, David’s true colors began to show in the absence of Barbara’s support structure. Barbara responded by slowly withdrawing into the shadows of depression, succumbing to oppression.
As Barbara wiped up the last trace of his mess, David gasped and his eyes opened. In shock, Barbara leapt back. David grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall. “What was that about being trapped in a mess?” he asked menacingly. Absolute fear and helplessness reigned as Barbara was reduced to an incoherent sobbing heap of misery. “You are not trapped, my dear. In fact, I will be happier if you left, but not without my refund. Did you honestly believe that those animals were a gift? Or a token? Or a symbol? What kind of fool would give an entire herd of cattle as a gift, token or symbol? You came here because I could afford to pay for you, and you will not leave until I get my cattle back. If I don’t get a refund, how will I be able to afford a better wife?”
Through the perversion of culture, Barbara had become a powerless piece of marital property. She could not be rescued from shameful ownership, because her clan insisted that they were unable to refund the cattle they had received from David’s clan; the cattle that Barbara’s father kept specifically for that purpose had been looted after his death. Over the years, Barbara had no success in her efforts at garnering her clan’s support, both in mediation efforts and divorce attempts. They consistently used the same tired excuse, “Barbara, you cannot challenge the agreement between our clans until you are able to refund the cattle that secured the agreement.”
And so she endured a life of suffering, until one sunny Saturday morning. David had been out drinking all night had not returned home. Barbara was sweeping the courtyard when one of her neighbors hurried along the path in front of her hut. She waved excitedly at Barbara, “Are you coming?”
“Where?”Barbara asked in a non-committal tone, thinking about what David would do to her if he returned while she was away.
“Just come!” her neighbor beckoned impatiently.
Throwing caution to the wind, Barbara slipped on her old sandals and fastened the tattered cloth wrapped around her waist. “This had better be good!” she muttered as she rushed out to join her neighbor.
When she arrived at the village meeting place, she found a large audience of mostly women. The audience and the guests were seated in a circle. Barbara and her neighbor had arrived just in time; one of the guests stood up and introduced herself. Her voice was humble and respectful, yet loaded with the power of knowledge and the enthusiasm of youth. Like everybody else in her village, Barbara had heard of FIDA Uganda lots of times, but this was the first time she had been able to see the legendary women lawyers from FIDA Uganda.
Barbara patiently listened as the women lawyers responded to the countless questions posed by her fellow villagers. As the meeting progressed, Barbara became increasingly certain that she had finally met her liberators. Still honoring the absurd urge to protect David from public disgrace, she kept her questions until the end of the meeting; mentally reconstructing the context and mapping out the dimensions of her predicament. Much to her relief, she didn’t have to ambush one of the FIDA Uganda lawyers after the meeting; they courteously offered free legal aid to anybody who wanted more private consultations after the meeting.
During her consultation with the legal aid officer from FIDA Uganda, Barbara received far more than she had hoped she would receive. The lawyer listened to her in a way that would humble the local church’s counselors who in her experience did more bible-thumping than listening. It was a cathartic experience for Barbara. The lawyer empathized and made Barbara feel understood for the first time since her father died. When the FIDA Uganda lawyer assured Barbara that the constitutional court had recently declared bride price refunds as unconstitutional, Barbara didn’t quite understand. The puzzled look on Barbara’s face did not reflect ignorance, but awareness of the limitations of modern law in communities such as hers. Realizing that Barbara would need a little more than legal advice, the woman lawyer exchanged contact details with Barbara.
That day Barbara knew that she had already started a new life, because the price of bondage in her life had suddenly become worthless. She contacted the lawyer from FIDA Uganda the next day, and together they initiated a legal process that would eventually see her walking away from the suffering imposed on her by the perverted understanding of the marriage agreement between two clans, into the freedom and dignity she deserved as a citizen of Uganda.
“We are trusting you with our daughter….”, Barbara’s stone-faced father never minced his words, “…because we know and trust our precious daughter’s intelligence and judgment.”
On hearing her father’s vote of confidence, Barbara tried not to smile, strictly maintaining the serious demeanor that her aunts had emphasized during one of her bridal lessons in the weeks before the ceremony, “Whatever happens, do not flinch. Do not sneeze, cough, clear your throat, scratch or fidget. Even if a large fly explores your nostrils and dances on your eyelids, remain steady. Lower your gaze and do not look at anybody in the face. Maintain an honorable facial expression at all times. Do not show your teeth, do not smile and whatever happens do not laugh. Do not re-adjust your posture, even if you begin to feel numb. You must present yourself as an elegant, healthy, pure, honest, confident, upright, obedient and worthy bride. Do not show any signs of self-consciousness, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel in your bridal attire. Your sisters will pay close attention to your attire and will see to it that your appearance remains immaculate right through the entire ceremony. If you break a sweat, your sisters will discretely pat you dry with their handkerchiefs. Remember, first impressions are extremely important. How you present yourself during this ceremony will significantly influence the way your in-laws treat you throughout your marriage. Please do not shrug this off as a mere traditional annoyance; you must respect this ceremony as an important opportunity to win the hearts and minds of your new in-laws who will be actively involved in your new life. You are not representing yourself during this ceremony; you are representing your family and our entire clan. Make us proud.”
Barbara was about to recall her favorite part of that ceremony; the part where her father asserted that his daughter was “not being given away in exchange for cattle” and that he would exert his parental authority if he ever discovered that his daughter was being treated in a manner that fell short of the ancient mutual respect enjoyed between the clan of the bride and the clan of the groom. Her blissful daydreaming session was interrupted by the distinct sound of her husband’s drunken shuffle as he stumbled his way across the dusty courtyard towards the front door. Panic struck as she snapped back into the present; the sacrilege in David’s inebriated remixes of hymns warned her of impending threats of violence.
She quickly carried her infant son into the adjacent hut, and asked her visiting nieces to keep him entertained so that he does not become aware of his father’s drunken ways. By the time she returned to the main hut, her husband was leaning through the front door. The stench of crude gin immediately took control of the hut. David had effectively swopped the sanctity of their home for the immorality of a bar. “Where are you coming from?” his question was filled with disgust as it dribbled out of his mouth along with a drooling mixture of saliva and gin. His shirt was wet, filthy and torn.
Barbara deduced that he had been involved in a drunken fight and as a result of losing that fight; his ego was in a poorer state than his shirt. As Barbara quickly tried to come up with a disarming answer, she clasped the rosary around her neck and prayed that David would pass out before saying another word. She hid around the corner in the passageway. Although she had become all too familiar with his drunken words, Barbara was still filled with dread at his threats of violence.
Barbara’s prayers were not answered; David didn’t pass out. He let out a large belch, before mumbling, “You woman, I asked you a question. Why have you not answered? It seems you are hiding something from me. Have you been cheating on me again? Instead of cheating on me, why don’t you just leave? All it takes is a simple transaction called a bride price refund. If you want to leave, I shall demand every last animal that I paid to your people…”
Barbara responded quickly, in a firm but respectful tone, “I have never cheated on you, David.”
A long silence followed. Barbara shut her eyes clasped her rosary tighter as she hoped and wondered, “Maybe he’s passed out? Am I safe now?”
David retched and the most horrible noise was followed by a putrid smell. As she peeped around the corner, she saw David sprawled across the living room floor, face-down in his own vomit. She paused and wondered how she had ended up trapped in such an unhappy marriage, with a man whose presence was bearable only when he was passed out.
She knelt down and began cleaning up David’s mess as her shoulders rubbed the tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Barbara yearned for her fathers’ promised protection. “If only you were still alive, Dad” she sobbed, “I would not be trapped in this mess”. She thought back to the good old days and sullenly processed how the greed of men had slowly ruined her life.
As newlyweds, Barbara and David were a couple to be envied. Life was too good to be true; the couple prospered financially as they expected their first born. David began frequenting a bar, celebrating good times and successes with his friends. Unfortunately, those celebrations became a daily routine. David crossed the line into alcoholism before he even realized that such a line existed. To most observers, their marriage still appeared to be perfect despite David’s dirty little secret. What most people didn’t appreciate was that Barbara was single-handedly holding that marriage together. She ran the home, managed their finances and fiercely defended her husband from all criticism as she did her best to keep up appearances. That is, until her father died.
Barbara’s father was a man of virtue; a wealthy yet humble man who had earned the respect of people across the entire district. When he died, Barbara’s father left her mother with more challenges than anyone had ever anticipated. A complicated, drawn out process of traditional inheritance left Barbara’s mother penniless and bitter. Barbara was left without the functional support structure she had trusted as conditional surety before entering into marriage. In the years that followed, David’s true colors began to show in the absence of Barbara’s support structure. Barbara responded by slowly withdrawing into the shadows of depression, succumbing to oppression.
As Barbara wiped up the last trace of his mess, David gasped and his eyes opened. In shock, Barbara leapt back. David grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall. “What was that about being trapped in a mess?” he asked menacingly. Absolute fear and helplessness reigned as Barbara was reduced to an incoherent sobbing heap of misery. “You are not trapped, my dear. In fact, I will be happier if you left, but not without my refund. Did you honestly believe that those animals were a gift? Or a token? Or a symbol? What kind of fool would give an entire herd of cattle as a gift, token or symbol? You came here because I could afford to pay for you, and you will not leave until I get my cattle back. If I don’t get a refund, how will I be able to afford a better wife?”
Through the perversion of culture, Barbara had become a powerless piece of marital property. She could not be rescued from shameful ownership, because her clan insisted that they were unable to refund the cattle they had received from David’s clan; the cattle that Barbara’s father kept specifically for that purpose had been looted after his death. Over the years, Barbara had no success in her efforts at garnering her clan’s support, both in mediation efforts and divorce attempts. They consistently used the same tired excuse, “Barbara, you cannot challenge the agreement between our clans until you are able to refund the cattle that secured the agreement.”
And so she endured a life of suffering, until one sunny Saturday morning. David had been out drinking all night had not returned home. Barbara was sweeping the courtyard when one of her neighbors hurried along the path in front of her hut. She waved excitedly at Barbara, “Are you coming?”
“Where?”Barbara asked in a non-committal tone, thinking about what David would do to her if he returned while she was away.
“Just come!” her neighbor beckoned impatiently.
Throwing caution to the wind, Barbara slipped on her old sandals and fastened the tattered cloth wrapped around her waist. “This had better be good!” she muttered as she rushed out to join her neighbor.
When she arrived at the village meeting place, she found a large audience of mostly women. The audience and the guests were seated in a circle. Barbara and her neighbor had arrived just in time; one of the guests stood up and introduced herself. Her voice was humble and respectful, yet loaded with the power of knowledge and the enthusiasm of youth. Like everybody else in her village, Barbara had heard of FIDA-Uganda lots of times, but this was the first time she had been able to see the legendary women lawyers from FIDA-Uganda.
Barbara patiently listened as the women lawyers responded to the countless questions posed by her fellow villagers. As the meeting progressed, Barbara became increasingly certain that she had finally met her liberators. Still honoring the absurd urge to protect David from public disgrace, she kept her questions until the end of the meeting; mentally reconstructing the context and mapping out the dimensions of her predicament. Much to her relief, she didn’t have to ambush one of the FIDA-Uganda lawyers after the meeting; they courteously offered free legal aid to anybody who wanted more private consultations after the meeting.
During her consultation with the lawyer from FIDA-Uganda, Barbara received far more than she had hoped she would receive. The lawyer listened to her in a way that would humble the local church’s counselors who in her experience did more bible-thumping than listening. It was a cathartic experience for Barbara. The lawyer empathized and made Barbara feel understood for the first time since her father died. When the FIDA-Uganda lawyer assured Barbara that the constitutional court had recently declared bride price refunds as unconstitutional, Barbara didn’t quite understand. The puzzled look on
“We are trusting you with our daughter….”, Barbara’s stone-faced father never minced his words, “…because we know and trust our precious daughter’s intelligence and judgment.”
On hearing her father’s vote of confidence, Barbara tried not to smile, strictly maintaining the serious demeanor that her aunts had emphasized during one of her bridal lessons in the weeks before the ceremony, “Whatever happens, do not flinch. Do not sneeze, cough, clear your throat, scratch or fidget. Even if a large fly explores your nostrils and dances on your eyelids, remain steady. Lower your gaze and do not look at anybody in the face. Maintain an honorable facial expression at all times. Do not show your teeth, do not smile and whatever happens do not laugh. Do not re-adjust your posture, even if you begin to feel numb. You must present yourself as an elegant, healthy, pure, honest, confident, upright, obedient and worthy bride. Do not show any signs of self-consciousness, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel in your bridal attire. Your sisters will pay close attention to your attire and will see to it that your appearance remains immaculate right through the entire ceremony. If you break a sweat, your sisters will discretely pat you dry with their handkerchiefs. Remember, first impressions are extremely important. How you present yourself during this ceremony will significantly influence the way your in-laws treat you throughout your marriage. Please do not shrug this off as a mere traditional annoyance; you must respect this ceremony as an important opportunity to win the hearts and minds of your new in-laws who will be actively involved in your new life. You are not representing yourself during this ceremony; you are representing your family and our entire clan. Make us proud.”
Barbara was about to recall her favorite part of that ceremony; the part where her father asserted that his daughter was “not being given away in exchange for cattle” and that he would exert his parental authority if he ever discovered that his daughter was being treated in a manner that fell short of the ancient mutual respect enjoyed between the clan of the bride and the clan of the groom. Her blissful daydreaming session was interrupted by the distinct sound of her husband’s drunken shuffle as he stumbled his way across the dusty courtyard towards the front door. Panic struck as she snapped back into the present; the sacrilege in David’s inebriated remixes of hymns warned her of impending threats of violence.
She quickly carried her infant son into the adjacent hut, and asked her visiting nieces to keep him entertained so that he does not become aware of his father’s drunken ways. By the time she returned to the main hut, her husband was leaning through the front door. The stench of crude gin immediately took control of the hut. David had effectively swopped the sanctity of their home for the immorality of a bar. “Where are you coming from?” his question was filled with disgust as it dribbled out of his mouth along with a drooling mixture of saliva and gin. His shirt was wet, filthy and torn.
Barbara deduced that he had been involved in a drunken fight and as a result of losing that fight; his ego was in a poorer state than his shirt. As Barbara quickly tried to come up with a disarming answer, she clasped the rosary around her neck and prayed that David would pass out before saying another word. She hid around the corner in the passageway. Although she had become all too familiar with his drunken words, Barbara was still filled with dread at his threats of violence.
Barbara’s prayers were not answered; David didn’t pass out. He let out a large belch, before mumbling, “You woman, I asked you a question. Why have you not answered? It seems you are hiding something from me. Have you been cheating on me again? Instead of cheating on me, why don’t you just leave? All it takes is a simple transaction called a bride price refund. If you want to leave, I shall demand every last animal that I paid to your people…”
Barbara responded quickly, in a firm but respectful tone, “I have never cheated on you, David.”
A long silence followed. Barbara shut her eyes clasped her rosary tighter as she hoped and wondered, “Maybe he’s passed out? Am I safe now?”
David retched and the most horrible noise was followed by a putrid smell. As she peeped around the corner, she saw David sprawled across the living room floor, face-down in his own vomit. She paused and wondered how she had ended up trapped in such an unhappy marriage, with a man whose presence was bearable only when he was passed out.
She knelt down and began cleaning up David’s mess as her shoulders rubbed the tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Barbara yearned for her fathers’ promised protection. “If only you were still alive, Dad” she sobbed, “I would not be trapped in this mess”. She thought back to the good old days and sullenly processed how the greed of men had slowly ruined her life.
As newlyweds, Barbara and David were a couple to be envied. Life was too good to be true; the couple prospered financially as they expected their first born. David began frequenting a bar, celebrating good times and successes with his friends. Unfortunately, those celebrations became a daily routine. David crossed the line into alcoholism before he even realized that such a line existed. To most observers, their marriage still appeared to be perfect despite David’s dirty little secret. What most people didn’t appreciate was that Barbara was single-handedly holding that marriage together. She ran the home, managed their finances and fiercely defended her husband from all criticism as she did her best to keep up appearances. That is, until her father died.
Barbara’s father was a man of virtue; a wealthy yet humble man who had earned the respect of people across the entire district. When he died, Barbara’s father left her mother with more challenges than anyone had ever anticipated. A complicated, drawn out process of traditional inheritance left Barbara’s mother penniless and bitter. Barbara was left without the functional support structure she had trusted as conditional surety before entering into marriage. In the years that followed, David’s true colors began to show in the absence of Barbara’s support structure. Barbara responded by slowly withdrawing into the shadows of depression, succumbing to oppression.
As Barbara wiped up the last trace of his mess, David gasped and his eyes opened. In shock, Barbara leapt back. David grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall. “What was that about being trapped in a mess?” he asked menacingly. Absolute fear and helplessness reigned as Barbara was reduced to an incoherent sobbing heap of misery. “You are not trapped, my dear. In fact, I will be happier if you left, but not without my refund. Did you honestly believe that those animals were a gift? Or a token? Or a symbol? What kind of fool would give an entire herd of cattle as a gift, token or symbol? You came here because I could afford to pay for you, and you will not leave until I get my cattle back. If I don’t get a refund, how will I be able to afford a better wife?”
Through the perversion of culture, Barbara had become a powerless piece of marital property. She could not be rescued from shameful ownership, because her clan insisted that they were unable to refund the cattle they had received from David’s clan; the cattle that Barbara’s father kept specifically for that purpose had been looted after his death. Over the years, Barbara had no success in her efforts at garnering her clan’s support, both in mediation efforts and divorce attempts. They consistently used the same tired excuse, “Barbara, you cannot challenge the agreement between our clans until you are able to refund the cattle that secured the agreement.”
And so she endured a life of suffering, until one sunny Saturday morning. David had been out drinking all night had not returned home. Barbara was sweeping the courtyard when one of her neighbors hurried along the path in front of her hut. She waved excitedly at Barbara, “Are you coming?”
“Where?”Barbara asked in a non-committal tone, thinking about what David would do to her if he returned while she was away.
“Just come!” her neighbor beckoned impatiently.
Throwing caution to the wind, Barbara slipped on her old sandals and fastened the tattered cloth wrapped around her waist. “This had better be good!” she muttered as she rushed out to join her neighbor.
When she arrived at the village meeting place, she found a large audience of mostly women. The audience and the guests were seated in a circle. Barbara and her neighbor had arrived just in time; one of the guests stood up and introduced herself. Her voice was humble and respectful, yet loaded with the power of knowledge and the enthusiasm of youth. Like everybody else in her village, Barbara had heard of FIDA-Uganda lots of times, but this was the first time she had been able to see the legendary women lawyers from FIDA-Uganda.
Barbara patiently listened as the women lawyers responded to the countless questions posed by her fellow villagers. As the meeting progressed, Barbara became increasingly certain that she had finally met her liberators. Still honoring the absurd urge to protect David from public disgrace, she kept her questions until the end of the meeting; mentally reconstructing the context and mapping out the dimensions of her predicament. Much to her relief, she didn’t have to ambush one of the FIDA-Uganda lawyers after the meeting; they courteously offered free legal aid to anybody who wanted more private consultations after the meeting.
During her consultation with the lawyer from FIDA-Uganda, Barbara received far more than she had hoped she would receive. The lawyer listened to her in a way that would humble the local church’s counselors who in her experience did more bible-thumping than listening. It was a cathartic experience for Barbara. The lawyer empathized and made Barbara feel understood for the first time since her father died. When the FIDA-Uganda lawyer assured Barbara that the constitutional court had recently declared bride price refunds as unconstitutional, Barbara didn’t quite understand. The puzzled look on Barbara’s face did not reflect ignorance, but awareness of the limitations of modern law in communities such as hers. Realizing that Barbara would need a little more than legal advice, the woman lawyer exchanged contact details with Barbara.
That day Barbara knew that she had already started a new life, because the price of bondage in her life had suddenly become worthless. She contacted the lawyer from FIDA-Uganda the next day, and together they initiated a legal process that would eventually see her walking away from the suffering imposed on her by the perverted understanding of the bride price agreement between two clans, into the freedom and dignity she deserved as a citizen of Uganda.
Barbara’s face did not reflect ignorance, but awareness of the limitations of modern law in communities such as hers. Realizing that Barbara would need a little more than legal advice, the woman lawyer exchanged contact details with Barbara.
That day Barbara knew that she had already started a new life, because the price of bondage in her life had suddenly become worthless. She contacted the lawyer from FIDA-Uganda the next day, and together they initiated a legal process that would eventually see her walking away from the suffering imposed on her by the perverted understanding of the bride price agreement between two clans, into the freedom and dignity she deserved as a citizen of Uganda.
Leave a Reply
