UNPRECEDENTED LEAD POISONING OUTBREAK IN ZAMFARA, NIGERIA: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTER IN A RESOURCE SCARCE SETTING Thesis uri icon

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Tips: I may not have parents but I know my rights

There are almost 3.7 million orphans in South Africa - close to half of them have lost their parents to AIDS-related disease. This is one girl’s story.

My name is Preity, I am 20 and I live in South Africa. When I was young I lived with my aunt and uncle. They made me believe they had the right to beat and mistreat me because I was not their biological child, and I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I was trapped.

They were plain mean to me. If I asked my aunt for sanitary pads when I got my period, she would say: “Use a newspaper!” When I wanted to fix my hair to look nice, she would say: “There is water and sunshine, what else do you need...”. It was terrible.

Life was hard for me then. I was very discouraged. Only after I had finished my difficult chores late a night, could I then take out my schoolbooks and do my homework.

One day, after thinking about it for a very long time, I gathered enough courage to go speak to a social worker I had heard about from a teacher at school. I was so scared. But I am so glad that I did. She changed my life.

When I went to her, I told her my story and I cried and cried. She looked at me in the eyes and told me, “Child, NO ONE has the right to beat you or treat you badly.” She went with me to my house and she met with my guardians. She had a few meetings. It took a while but she eventually helped me find another place to live away from them. There I was looked after. I was able to concentrate on my studies, and I became strong.

When I was at my aunt and uncle’s I was scared to ask for help. But I am so glad that I did. Now I am happy and safe. I am proud again. I am a girl who fought for her rights and won.

Tips: use your potential wisely

One summer helped me find my way
Living in poverty and with limited opportunities, many girls struggle to find their way. This is the story of one girl.

My name is Mabreidy, I am 16 and I live in the Dominican Republic, on an island in the Caribbean Sea. My town, Cabarete, can look like heaven on earth. People come from all over the world for our beaches and our world-famous kitesurfing waves. The tourism jobs are good, but there aren’t enough of them. With no money, we all feel hopeless.

My father was an alcoholic – like a lot of people there. He used to beat my mother. My siblings and I were often afraid of getting hurt during his angry outbursts.

At school I struggled to make friends because I was so shy and scared to reach out to people my own age. I even got into fights with other girls and threw tantrums at home. I felt stuck. I wasn’t getting any support to try anything new because everyone was so worried about bad influences. I was always hearing, “Shut up, Mabreidy, “No, Mabreidy, “Quiet, Mabreidy.”

My mother heard me complaining that I had nothing to do, so she signed me up for a summer camp for girls. I was nervous. But from the first day we were having fun and learning all sorts of new things, like drama and Bollywood dances. I started making lots of new friends and was finally smiling! The Mariposa DR Foundation taught us how to speak English and how to swim, as well as how to stand up for ourselves. They also encouraged us to finish our education, play sports and live an active lifestyle.

The program didn’t end with summer camp. We kept meeting and learning new things. We learned how not to damage ourselves with drugs and alcohol. I learned that life is more than a struggle.

I now know I have more options than going with men who might beat or hurt me.

My relationship with my parents has really improved because I am happier and more confident. My papi (father) even comes to watch my swim races. He calls me “a female warrior in the water”! I even became the first Dominican girl in my town to learn to kitesurf! Now I feel so happy when I am on the ocean. I didn’t know I would have this dream. Now I understand that I can control myself and my emotions – in and out of the water.

I am proud that I have a lot of potential and can help other girls find theirs. When I teach other girls how to swim I tell them to forget about what people may say, even if they make fun of you. We have the power to create our own future, to do things our mothers never had a chance to do.

Read more about Mabreidy’s story at grassrootsgirls.tumblr.com

Tips: my face has really gone crazy!

Puberty is ruining my looks!
Puberty is a name for the time when you start to change from a child to an adult. Puberty is normal—it happens to everyone. You'll go through a lot of changes, but you will still be YOU—with some important differences. This is one girl’s story.

I am Thandi and I live in South Africa. When I turned 13 my skin changed. My back and shoulders were full of pimples and my thighs and legs had stretch marks. It was hard to be happy because I was always so aware of how bad my skin looked.

I would always wear a cap to cover the pimples and blackheads on my face, especially on my forehead. I would wear long sleeves and a long skirt. Anything to cover up.

I felt very depressed, because people were mean to me. Also, I believed that no guy would want to date a person with such bad skin, so I stayed at home and didn’t go out much.

But things changed when I met a guy at my church. He was sweet to me and after we had been friends for a while he told me that he loved everything about me. I could not believe it!

He helped me look past what was on the outside. I know I am a good person I just got so upset about the way I looked that I forgot to love and care for my body.

I have accepted the stretch marks but I have started to really look after myself more. I wash my face twice a day with soap and water. I exercise and avoid oily food. I know the pimples will clear up eventually.

I used to cry every day because people were so mean about the way I looked. But I am not going to hide behind closed doors anymore.

I have love and pride in my heart and no matter what I look like on the outside, am going to focus on my education and my future, because that is what is really important.LMP

Tips: ARE YOU BEING TREATED BADLY? YOU DO HAVE RIGHTS

In many countries women and girls have the same rights as men according to the law, and are regarded as equals in all aspects. But this isn’t always practiced at home.

You have the right to be treated with respect and to be safe anARE YOU BEING TREATED BADLY? YOU DO HAVE RIGHTS

In many countries women and girls have the same rights as men according to the law, and are regarded as equals in all aspects. But this isn’t always practiced at home

You have the right to be treated with respect and to be safe and secure in your home. If this isn’t the case then speak to someone you trust like a teacher or village leader. A problem shared can be a burden lifted.

If someone older tries to scare you by shouting at you or hurting you, it can be can be abuse and is wrong. Find an adult you trust to help you.
There is nothing more traumatic for a child than losing a parent – never mind both. Growing up without parents or a caring adult looking after you can mean you are more at risk of harm. But you still have the right to education and healthcare.
When Preity was young she lived with her aunt and uncle. They made her believe they had the right to beat and mistreat her. This is her story:d secure in your home. If this isn’t the case then speak to someone you trust like a teacher or village leader. A problem shared can be a burden lifted.

If someone older tries to scare you by shouting at you or hurting you, it can be can be abuse and is wrong. Find an adult you trust to help you.
There is nothing more traumatic for a child than losing a parent – never mind both. Growing up without parents or a caring adult looking after you can mean you are more at risk of harm. But you still have the right to education and healthcare.
When Preity was young she lived with her aunt and uncle. They made her believe they had the right to beat and mistreat her. This is her story