Amina hails from the nothern part of Ghana, where women are not supposed to go to school. Since she could remember, her father always told her, "*don't read books*". She used to ask why and she always got the same answer, so she asks no more.
Photo Credit : @mydivathings
*"Women don't need to go to school"*, her father always told her. You need a man to marry you, and I can't allow you to fill your head with all those books and be challenging your husband. You don't need a job my dear, I will find you a rich husband who will take care of you, so you don't have to worry about getting education.
Amina could vividly remember how she learnt to read and write without ever stepping into a classroom. Whenever the family will return earlier than usual from the farm, she sneaks out to go to the community library. It was the only library in her district, and she is grateful it was built close to her family house.
Ms Kukua, the librarian will tell her girl's in the south were all going to school. She shouldn't be left out. She thought Amina to read and write and with determination, Amina started to read on her own. Whenever she had time, she would come to the library to read. Only few people came to the library because they didn't see the need for it, even though government officials had come to tell them of it's benefits.
Amina remembers the last day she stepped in the library. It was a usual Wednesday afternoon for the family. They returned from the farm a quiet early, and after doing all her chores, Amina stepped out to go to the library. She was reading *"around the world in 80 days"* and she was almost done. She wondered if she would ever travel outside her district.
After finishing the book and saying giodbye to Ms Kukua, she headed home. Unfortunately her she met an entourage upon entering the house. Without her knowledge, a marriage had been set up between her and an older man. The family of the man, had come to collect their bride after having paid her bride price of 4 cows.
Amina couldn't believe it. She was going to live in another district with a man she barely knows. A man who she presumes will tell her that a woman's place is in the kitchen. That was the end of her life. She was too sad and angry to cry. Tears trickled down her face as she smiled to her new family. Her things had already been packed in a sack and she had to say goodbye to all the people and things she loved. Amina never touched another book after that day.
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