OPEN LETTERS
Some students wrote letters to support women in Burkina Faso
They sent these letters also to the teacher (Mrs. Divino) during Christmas holidays 2015
The writers are not involved in the project but they were very interested and freely decided to write. The teacher decided not to correct the mistakes to let the letters meaningful.
1)
Salve prof.
qui di seguito trova la mail che ho inviato a amnesty international.
Le auguro una buona continuazione delle vacanze e buone feste.
distinti saluti,
Melissa
Dear Minister of Justice and Human Rights
being aware of the widespread practice of forced marriage in Burkina Faso, which I consider to be inhumane for various reasons including the young brides and the age difference with husbands who often is a cause of disease and death and the lack of freedom of these brides. I decided to take action and support this campaign hoping that the broad participation leads to large results.
with this letter I want to ask you to take action and eliminate this practice by:
-Recognizing more rights and freedom to women
-Recognizing child abuse and early marriage as a criminal offence
-Protect the victims of these acts and practice and supply centres for victims or for future victims
Sincerely,
Melissa
2)
Minister of justice and human rights,
Amnesty International Burkina Faso,
08 Av. Houari Boumediene,
Ouagadougou 08 BP 11344,
Burkina Faso
Dear Minister,
Thanks to my school I’m aware of your own law, in particular the practice of forcing young girls to marry, I should mention that the forced marriage, especially of young girls is forbidden and dangerous not only for them but for all the people. There are many damages that this practice can cause, for example damage to the health of these girls, both physical and mental, but also to the welfare of the civil country. Precisely for this reason I ask the government of Burkina Faso to take care of the most vulnerable, to enforce the law and educate the people in a mutual respect for a better coexistence.
Sincerely,
Molteni Michela
Amnesty International Burkina
08 Av. Houari Boumedienne
Ouagadougou 08 BP 11344
Burkina Faso
Thanks to my school I’m aware of your own law, in particular the practice of forcing young girls to marry, I think that the freedom to decide what to do with our lives shouldn’t be violated by anyone, a practice of this kind can’t be forgiven and justified. I hope that with our help can you enforce your rights, because these practices are unfair and I would like you to know that you aren’t alone, there are many people who try to defend human rights.
Molteni Michela
3)
Dear Minister,
I am deeply concerned about what is going on in your Country. It is known that 52% of girls in Burkina Faso are forced to marriage in young age, even before the age of 18, with serious consequences for their physical and psychological health. These marriages are against a lot of human rights and for this reson I urge you and your government to:
• Try to enforce the already existing law against early mariage and the several international laws.
• Build other shelters for young girls, so if they are in danger or risk of being forced to marry older men, they can find help in these facilities.
• Educate and sensitise the new generations to respect the laws and, above all, women.
Sincerely,
De Luca Rita
4)
Dear Maria,
You don’t know who I’m, my name is Claudia, and I’m a 18-years-old Italian girl. A lot of time in my life I have heard about this young girls, like you, that are forced by their fathers to get married with about a man that he is 70 years old, or 60 years old and maybe they have other wives and children.
I think that it is a terrible thing because it goes to violate some human rights, for example the freedom of life, and the happiness, because a girl that do this is obligated to do this against their will.
Besides these wedding can damage their health, because these girls are in the development time and it is bad for them.
I think that the government should be present and fight to delete this practice, and these girls like you have to rebel for your freedom.
My advice for you is that you mustn’t suffer these attitudes and you have to rebel.
If you need help you can write to me and together we can fight to delete it and support you and the other girl that are in your same conditions.
Happy new year and good luck for everything
See you soon,
Claudia.
5)
Dear girls,
I know many of you are forced to marry older men before you turn 18 and that means you are privated of childhood and education. Child marriage, infacts, robs birls of every opportunity to trhive. I also know that many of you come from poor conditions: giving away a daughter allows the parents to reduce their family costs but this absurd practice is dangerous for your health. Chlid brides face a high risk of death or injury: girls who give birth before the age of 15 are more likely to die in childbirth than girls in their 20s. Moreover, child brides are more likely to describe their first sexual experience as forced, so that the risk oh HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted deseases is increased. Is difficult come across a solution a this situacion but nedd find because it's impossbile that a young girls die for this.
Love,
Alessia
Buon inizio anno! :)
Alessia Mobilio V A.
6)
Dear Ministry of Justice and Human Rights,
Stop turning a blind eye and meet the country's obligation to prevent forced and early marriages.
These children can not live their childhood and are forced to live with people much older than them.
In these relations there isn't love but only loneliness, suffering and injustice.
The state must eliminate these kinds of marriages. The girls have the right to live their childhood , they can play and one day they can fall in love and live with the man that they want.
The most important thing is that these girls are not alone.
A lot of people in the world knows this situation and whit small gestures , for example letters or funds , they are activated to stop it.
All women have rights and no one should be forced into marriage.
Giovanna