Without money and no place to go, Nyaradzo Hoto was forced to get married and drop out of school when she was only 20 years old.
She was enslaved by the family of his violent husband and was used as a punching bag.
Nyaradza thought she may never escape her ‘prison,’ but she found the courage to stand up and joined a combat unit in Zimbabwe, fighting to protect the most endangered animals from poachers.
In an interview with LADbible, Nyaradza shared how she escaped her violent marriage and joined the world’s first all-female anti-poaching combat unit.
“My parents did not have enough money for me to continue at school,” Nyaradza, now 28, revealed. “I was forced to drop out. In desperation, I chose to get married. There was no other option for me to survive.
“I was forced into hard labour, day in, day out, with nothing in return. A slave for him and his family. My husband was physically violent. He used to slap and kick me, coming home drunk late at night and beating me.
“I always wished to be a dignified and respected woman, to have a career and help build a good life with my husband, but it never happened.
“He didn’t allow me to have a career. I could never dream.”
She continued: “I never told my parents about the abuse I went through. Most Africans tend to take domestic abuse for granted. Divorce is out of the question. In the end, you’re forced to accept the harsh and painful conditions for the rest of your life.”
Nyaradza eventually gained the courage to escape from her violent marriage. “It wasn’t easy. It was difficult for me to finally decide to move out of marriage. Back to an even more uncertain and vulnerable position.
“It was painful, but I told myself that nothing great comes easy and nothing easy is ever great.”
After her father’s death, she came back home, where she spent the next few years caring for her family members.
She then saw an advertisement looking for women to be part of a team of rangers. The unit would be called Akashinga or The Brave Ones, the first armed, all-female anti-poaching force in the world.
“It was a once in a lifetime breakthrough. The training for Akashinga was so tough, but it was an eye-opening experience,” she expressed.
“This was what I was born to do. As a women, I was focused on using Akashinga as a tool to fight my battle towards a better life.”
Over the past three years, The Brave Ones has made over 190 arrests and help decrease the level of elephant poaching in Lower Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe by 80 percent.
“Animals can’t speak, so it is now my responsibility to rise and stand firmly to save their lives. I have nothing to fear. Saving animals is now my first priority,” she added.
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Replaced!