Hardship turns to Hope

Last month RTBF rescued Amma from a life of abuse at the age of 16. Her mother died when she was two years old, so her father sent Amma and her older brother, Kwasi, to live with their maternal grandmother. Unfortunately, three years later their grandmother also died. Amma and Kwasi returned to live with their father, but he had remarried and the stepmother did not want them to live in the house.  

Fortunately, Amma’s paternal aunt took her in because she was only five years old and the aunt wanted to protect her from any maltreatment from her stepmother. Kwasi, however, remained in the home. He was frequently beaten and abused by his step mother, especially when his father was away working as a driver. Through neighbor complaints, Kwasi's father learned of the abuse which created marital strife and tension in the home, so Kwasi eventually left to live with his pastor. 
 
Meanwhile, Amma was well taken care of by her aunt. She was enrolled in school and completed her basic school certificate exam at the age of 15. By then, her aunt's husband did not want her to stay with the family any longer. Despite the aunt's protests and wishes for Amma to stay, she was returned to her father's home. It was only a few days later that the stepmother's abuse began. A concerned neighbor reported the incidents to The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit and the stepmother was arrested. After the Unit's investigation, the father was also arrested and both were held for three days. Upon their release, they signed a care bond that restricted the stepmother from mistreating Amma and required the father to take better care of her. 

A few months later the stepmother's cruelty against Amma resumed, physically and verbally, including denying her food. Amma decided she had to leave home. She stayed with a friend of her father's, but moved again when the family no longer wanted her to stay. She met a woman who promised to help her. The woman used Amma as a domestic servant but never paid her and she also abused her. After working for several months, the woman handed Amma over to another woman who also used her for domestic services and mistreated her. Amma could no longer bear the constant abuse so she ran away and sought shelter in a partially constructed abandoned building. 

During the day Amma searched for small jobs in order to earn money to survive. One morning when she was venturing out of the abandoned building, a girl named Abena saw her and was concerned about Amma's safety, living alone in an abandoned building. Abena asked her mother if Amma could stay with them for a while so she could have food and shelter. Amma lived with the family of six in one room. Abena’s mother struggled to provide for her own family so she felt she could not properly care for Amma. She decided to search for a comfortable home for Amma and find her work as a house helper. 

Coincidentally, Abena’s mother knew Eric Peasah, Executive Director of RTBF/Africa. When Eric met with Amma, he learned of her severe hardships and she mentioned she had completed her basic certificate exam. Eric saw the need for Amma to continue her education to improve her life instead of working as house help. He said, “With such potential, we can help Amma overcome all her challenges.” 

Amma went home to retrieve her school records, which showed she had a good academic record and was prefect of her previous school. RTBF met with Amma’s father who confirmed his wife’s refusal to allow his children to live with them. He said “Life has been hard for me and I could not take care of my own children. With the help of RTBF, I will work hard to complement their support for my child so she can achieve her dreams.”