South Sudanese girl married at 14 for cows
Nyanbuot, now 17, is a mother of one and pregnant again after her family arranged her marriage in January 2024.
Nyanbuot was married at 14 in January 2024 in Rumbek, Lakes State, South Sudan, in exchange for cows and other wealth. She was studying in Kenya at the time and was unaware of the arrangement until her family called her home for Christmas. She is now 17, a mother, and six months pregnant with her second child.
The girl, who had dreamed of becoming a doctor, said her family arranged the marriage to a man she had never met. Nyanbuot reported experiencing difficult pregnancies and physical abuse from her husband, stating her family refused to support her when she sought help. Her brothers, who received the cows, would not accept her back from the marriage.
Nyanbuot’s education has been interrupted, and her aspirations are on hold as she faces the responsibilities of motherhood and marriage. She expressed suffering and concern for her young child, noting her husband struggles to provide for the family and only possesses the cows given to her parents.
Why it mattersNyanbuot, a 17-year-old girl, is suffering from an interrupted education and an abusive marriage arranged by her family in exchange for cows.