MONEYWIVES

Dan Ozoko

In one of tribes where we carry out missionary evangelism,we came across a strange tradition.When a man feels that he has made enough money,he will go to another family to purchase a little girl as a wife,hence the term,"Money Wife".

The driving rationale behind this practice is that it is only children born by the "Money Wife" that are culturally authorised to provide food for the ghost or the spirit of the dead rich man after his death.They believe that when a person dies,his spirit would wander up and down,looking for food.It is the children born by the "Money Wife" that can feed the dead man's spirit.

For this reason,the children of "Money Wife" are highly valued.They are the ones to get the inheritance of the man that purchased their mother.

Now the story begins to get troubling when you wish to find out why they call the woman a "Money Wife".They will tell you that this woman is not like the real wife of the man.She is treated like the scum of the earth.Usually there is great age gap between the man and his moneywife because she is bought at birth or a little after.Sometimes the man might bet with a pregnant woman that if she gives birth to a female,she would become a moneywife.

So as soon as the baby girl is born,she is quickly prepared for handover to her man.Usually the man is much older and often married to an adult wife.Unfortunately the children born by the adult wife is not valued as those of the moneywife.

In most cases,the young moneywife begins sexual activities much earlier than normal girls.In several cases,because the husband can no longer perform sexually,the moneywife gradually becomes a rural prostitute but any children born out of that,still belongs to the man that purchased her.

Because of the fact that children of moneywives are expected to feed the man that purchased their mothers,such purchasers do not allow their moneywives to go to church or school so that they will never learn any new ideas that will kill this evil tradition.

This means that moneywives though they are young can never go to school.If they try to join the church,they will be thoroughly beaten.Through pure terror and fear,they are kept in bondage.They are threathened with death if they try to break free.They are constantly reminded of how expendable they are.There are even some rituals for killing any disobedient moneywife.They live in hell.

If the original purchaser of a moneywife dies,his son inherits the woman.The moneywife is treated with great cruelty.She is at the mercy of her purchaser.

You might wish to know how much is usually paid to acquire a moneywife.I was so shocked to learn that most of them are bought for very little amounts of money.In most cases,cash is not even involved ....just a few items that cost very little.This shows that it is the children of very poor people that are usually sold as moneywives.

This is not "Lamb tales from Shakespeare".This is the reality in one of the tribes where we work.I am withholding the name of this tribe because I respect them.By the grace of God,a large number of their people have turned to the Lord and are very ashamed of this culture.

Now the real reason I am sharing this,is because we need your help to get some of the moneywives out of this bondage.We have been struggling to provide education for them where possible or for their children.It has not been easy.A good number need to be in school.Can you prayerfully consider providing school fees for them?

Some of the moneywives need serious rehabilitation.They need to have a means of livelihood after getting born again.Can you pray about this?

Thirdly,a good number of them will need some kind of counseling or therapy in dealing with years of sexual exploitation,trauma and domestic violence.Though they have accepted Christ,there will be need for a kind of sanctified counseling by Spirit-filled psychologists or social workers.This is a call for volunteers who are professionally qualified to step out and help.

I only ask that we as believers do not sensationalise this issue.Our goal is to bring healing to these troubled women who were bought with the precious blood of Jesus.We do not want unnecessary publicity of their identities.They have already suffered a lot.

So I will not post the picture of any moneywife.Rather I will show you the kind of jungle villages where they live.

I want you to think about these women.They didn't ask to be born into such communities.They have known nothing but suffering since birth.

To be continued

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Remain blessed.

Na wa o