Beneath the Tamarind Tree: A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost Schoolgirls of Boko Haram

by Isha Sesay

My father may have been my enabler, but my mother was the heartbeat and enforcer in our family. She set the rules and rhythm of our family life and kept every single one of us in line, including Mamud Senior—without fail.

My mother believed education was the most prized possession a person could have and did everything in her power to share it with anyone eager to learn. From her I learned that while much in life is negotiable, gaining an education should never be, and a girl’s right to be educated is always worth fighting for.

Aisha had grown up in staggering poverty, so deprived she often went to school without breakfast and came home without having any lunch.

dregs

The unacknowledged industry mantra is “You’re only as good as your last story.”

peeved.

furtive