By Emeka Nze
A 24-year-old Nigerian based in Ghana, Blessing Okechukwu, has disclosed that her uncle raped her twice at age 12, but her grandparents called her a liar and beat her up.
Blessing mentioned that her father born to a Ghanaian, brought her to Ghana to live with her grandmother. However, she had to run away from home to escape the maltreatment.
“My family is the reason I can’t go back home. He raped me twice at age 12, and I told them about it, but they beat me up. They shaved my head, put a block on my head and poured a bowl of water mixed with pepper on me.
At one point, I wanted to take poison, but a friend advised and encouraged me. I stayed with that friend at Essugyir in Cape Coast until she travelled. I was 14 then,” she said.
Media Issues, an online newspaper, also gathered that cases of rape is on the rise, particularly among children with single parentage.
Speaking on Ghetto Life Story on SVTV Africa, Blessing noted that she had suicidal thoughts, but a friend advised her against it. Eventually, she moved to Accra with a friend to work.
According to Blessing, she had no place to lay her head. The young lady in front of closed shops eventually decided to start prostitution to cater for herself.
“I had no choice, so I even take GHs10 because I need to pay my rent. Even with that, I don’t make money often. I only made GHS50 in the last two weeks. The worry makes me smoke,” Blessing added.
Moreover, Blessing told DJ Nyaami that she feels awful about the life she has now and is ready to quit if she gets help.
-Ghanaweb