Alieu Jallow

Story: This feature tells the powerful story of “Mariama” (not her real name), a single mother who continues to grapple with the immense challenges of raising her two children following a divorce four years ago. Mariama’s account sheds light on the hidden struggles many women face in silence. Forced into an arranged marriage at the age of seventeen by her aunt, she was compelled to abandon her education and future aspirations. After giving birth to two children, she endured humiliation and mistreatment at the hands of her ex-husband and his family, only to be abandoned and eventually cast out onto the streets after the divorce. Today, Mariama carries the daily weight of being both mother and father to her children. Beyond the visible hardships of financial struggles and emotional tolls, she described the exhausting act of pretending to be fine in order to cope. The burden of unresolved trauma, she explained, feels like walking through uncharted territory with the weight of the world pressing on her shoulders.

Published in: October 28, 2025