The Price of Polygamy In Ethiopia: 12 Wives + 78 Children = Trouble (VIDEO)
OROMIYA, Ethiopia -- If you were to visit 65-year-old Ayatu Nure and his family at their compound in the Oromiya region of Ethiopia, you would probably find eight of Ayatu's 12 wives harvesting banana roots for dinner, while chasing after their combined 78 children. At first glance, this unlikely family appears carefree -- but a closer look reveals that many of Ayatu's children are hungry, possibly even malnourished. Their main source of food -- banana roots -- doesn't provide much nutrition, but unfortunately this is the only thing Ayatu can afford.
In this remote, densely-populated region of Ethiopia, it is common for men to have multiple wives. In Ayatu's case this tradition has backfired. Years ago, he had enough land and food to satisfy everyone's needs. This changed when Ayatu had to sell land or cattle to make the dowry payment for each new wife he took, usually a sum of between $500 and $1,000. Now, the family compound is almost bare from overgrazing, two of his wives have moved with cattle in search of greener pastures, and two others died from unknown illnesses in the 1990s. The situation is so desperate that Ayatu cannot afford to send his children to secondary school, and he is marrying off two of his 15-year-old daughters to ensure they are fed. Thirteen others are living with their married siblings.
Living with two wives and eight children in a neighbouring town is Ayatu's eldest son, Dagne. Dagne said he and his father made a mistake by taking more than one wife and blames it on a lack of education, "Men and women don't have the knowledge of birth spacing or the desire to seek this information," said Dagne.
Ayatu's family is enormous by any standards. In Ethiopia, having at least five children per mother is the norm. "The population is growing at a rate of 2.7 percent annually, said Dr. Monique Rakotomalala, the Ethiopia representative for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. With the population of the country now at 73 million, she is concerned. "That means two million new people every year." At this rate, the population could double over the next 24 years, severely stretching existing resources. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopia's Minister of Health, says the secret is smaller families. "We have to educate our communities and tell them the benefits of smaller families because it will bring a better quality of life to each household."
To assist families like Ayatu's, the Government of Ethiopia has launched a network of 29,000 health extension workers to teach both men and women about family planning and provide contraceptives to those who want to delay childbearing. So far, two of Ayatu's wives are using long-term implants. Many women in remote villages opt for this method because of the distance between their homes and health centres. Yet, health extension workers visiting families in this pastoral landscape also face difficulties as they have to walk long distances to reach one household, and sometimes lack sufficient stock to meet the demands of many communities.
Ayatu admits he failed to acknowledge the consequences of having such a large family, and wants to be a role model for young people so they will not make the same mistake. "I wasn't educated," said Ayatua. "Nobody asked me. Nobody told me of the consequences".
[WATCH:]
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Polygamy no fun, admits Ethiopian
UNiFEED Story: ETHIOPIA / POLYGAMY (08:56), <p>Once a wealthy ...
EthioBlog - Polygamy no fun, admits Ethiopian
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
This man is doing is part, after 400 years of Africans taken and flung all over the globe someone has to replenish the lost numbers, Africa should be where China and India are right now instead they are stuck at the billion mark.
There is also a much brighter side to this; Africa has 95% of the globes DNA reserves ready to repopulate the globe if some global crisis happens.
The whole point here is that a lot of these kids are going hungry. Do your talking points outweigh that?
There's no excuse for having 78 children that you can't feed, but actually polygamy is the answer to many of the world's problem.
If you allow the cream to rise to the top, then the people bringing down the IQ of the gene pool will stop procreating and presto - no more Rush Limbaughs.
Those of us left will build a much better, more organic society without religion, tribalism, sexism, racism, homophobia or any other "ISMS".
What right does government have restricting the social life of consenting adults? If two men want to share one woman - why is that anyone's business? If four women, adult women, want to share me (I'm being modest) what right does government have to say no? Why is there such oppressive control over the social expression of human beings? Why is it a big deal if two men or two women - or four men want to marry each other?
Most men aren't monogamous anyway, they have girlfriends on the side, office flings, love strip clubs, or prostitution or porn - so it's hypocritical for anyone in these type people to be against someone who wants to openly have a marriage contract w/ more than one spouse, instead of sneaking around.
If you ask both men and women if they had the opportunity to cheat on their mate w/ out them ever finding out and you had no ridiculous fear of hell - most would say yes.
Better to be open and honest from
the jump
Except you end up with situations like this constantly.
Not with a little self control
How could this man not know the consequences of having more children or wives than he could afford to support. Didn't he realize the money was running out every month after he had, oh I don't know, 40 children and 6 wives.
The mind boggles...
Furthermore, doesn't Ethiopia have recurring problems with famine? What is the mindset that allows someone to bring 78 children into the world where it's quite likely a lot of them will starve?
I am aware that there are sociologic
I just don't get it.
I don't see his problem as being much different than the problems of Americans.
That is such a dumb analogy, an American's debt does not usually equal starvation and death for the wife and children. And, not all Americans are "drowning in debt". Maybe you are, but speak for yourself.
This is a direct Result of Bush's anti-choice and pro-poverty initiatives.
Actually, I dont think Bush cared at all for choice, I think the idea here in line with the popes is keep Africa poor and suffering.
I'll have to disagree with you there. I was completely against Bush's plans for Africa. I thought they were abhorrent. However, I think this man's difficulties are of his own making as he didn't plan enough for the future. This is a man who took too many wives.
The story clearly states that the man made these choices, and that it is unusual, even in Ethiopia, to have so many wives and children. Though I do agree (somewhat) with you, it's mostly the religious aspects that are anti-choice and cause poverty and deprivation.
Uganda has the highest birth rate in the world and it's population is due to double in 15 years. The average woman has 7 children. It's President extols his people to have more children. 56% of the national budget is provided by donor nations, much of it going to corruption. A new report that because of the overpopultion much of the environment including the rain forests are being destroyed. In addition many can not afford to pay for health care or school fees because of the number of children in the families. Why does Museveni push for more children? Mainly because much of the foreign aid is tied to population. Until the donor nations start cutting aid, especially military, until this nonsensical policy is reversed, it will continue.
Foreign aid is also tied to Uganda's mineral resources, many of which are necessary to support the electronics industry and growing telecommunications network -- as well as the vast network of multinational and regional theft of resources which could be directed towards developing better infrastructure in Uganda. But the average concerned citizen of the developed world never sees how all those fancy devices made of copper wiring and other rare metals only found in abundance in many African countries they get at cut-throat rates at Walmart and Target also serve to ham string further positive development.
True, the average woman may have 7 children -- but she does so to end up with 2 maybe 3 adult children; if you asked these women would they have less children if they were guaranteed a reasonable success rate of life most would not hesitate to say "yes!" But that cannot be guaranteed in a world where resources -- like lives -- are seen as cheap commodities for the rapacious need of the first world consumer who needs to stand on "moral high ground" all the while unwilling to see the trail of blood which starts at their fancy cell phones, televisions, and jewelry.
They don't have five children die out of that seven. That's nonsense. And they are dooming the rest to hunger and poverty. You're an excuse maker.
Bravo. You say it as it is. Now if only we could ween us westerners off the gadgets...
Next on Pay-Per-View: Octomom vs. Dodecahusband!
LOL!
A match made in heaven....
How could this man not know that every time he has sex with a wife, he may impregnate her?
Women in third world cultures may not have the option of saying no occasionally. The ultimate responsibility has to reside with the man, who should realize that, if nothing else, he should just tell his libido no, no sex today.
Or air drop condoms and birth controll pills
Obviously the result of American hegemonism
If they did that here, the'd all be on welfare. Utah's dirty little secret.
The good news is that this gentleman and his son learned their lesson. There is hope that their sons will not take more than one wife. So there is a beginning for a brighter future.
Polygamy is not the main issue here, seeing as monogamous couples can be enormously fecund. A friend from the Philippines described a day laborer there who lives under a highway overpass with his wife and twenty-two children. If all twelve of Ayatu's wives had that many, he'd have 264 kids.
Polygamy is a very big part of this issue. The point is that he has 78 children. Not good for them or the country they live in. And a big part of the problem in the Philippines is the no birth control policy of the Catholic Church.
The problem with polygamy is ~
1 ) the women involved seldom get to choose and accept the new partners.
2 ) child production tends to get totally out of hand. 1 child per parent is replacement, more is population expansion.
3 ) Income often fails to support all family members.
As a life choice polygamy is not necessarily always wrong, but it is often a source of inequality.
Polygamy in Islam is limited to 4wives...o
Gosh, that makes all the difference in the world.
You are wrong,they can have 4 permenent wives and as many as they can temperory wives.
Not true, the Koran says 4 wives and you should be able to take care of them equally.
This is why polygamy only allows 4 wives.. when you go against what is allowed by God..you get serious problems..
Polygamy is sanctioned by god? The heck you say. Where did you get that little nugget from? And please don't pull out that book as your proof of what is in that book. Sheesh. Quote another source please.
The solution to so many problems in this world is simple education. When we forunate people look at third world countries or at the poor in even advanced countries, we marvel at how people could make the decisions they make. It's hard to understand that many people simply lack the foundation of knowledge required to make responsible choices.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
