The various health issues that arise in a society that marries off their girls at age 12 and expects a male to start his family before age 18 are abundant.  Rape is illegal here, but it happens often.  And even if the marriage is based upon love, a girl’s body can’t handle childbirth at that young age.

In Ethiopia, divorce or abandonment is not seen as a cultural taboo.  It is very common for a male to move on to another family, and for the woman to be left behind with a large brood of children to care for.  Most often, the women band together and help each other survive on very little.  They continue their jobs of gathering wood, fetching water and preparing food.

But on the occasion where we see continued involvement by the men who are concerned about the health of their wives, there is a focused desperation.  It is almost like they are fighting two battles: to obtain medical care for their loved one, and to push through the cultural norm of indifference.