Forced to Flee, Driven to Lead: Rebecca’s Journey from Rejection to Empowerment

Rejected by her family because of her religious beliefs, Rebecca sought refuge in the bush at just 13 years old, finding it safer than her own father’s home. Despite the hardships of life in the wild and constantly moving from village to village, Rebecca—now 31 and living in Dubai—has carved out a path of resilience and success. Today, she stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration to young girls from her village who have been cast out for daring to assert their rights.

In many African communities, religion is a deeply rooted virtue that fosters love, respect, and peace among people of different tribes and cultures. But when distorted by extremism, religion can become a source of division and harm. Acts of religious extremism—such as refusing to coexist with those of different faiths, or even resorting to violence—have tragically taken root in some areas. These practices often leave children homeless and force young girls into early marriages, commonly with older men, to prevent the possibility of interfaith unions.

Rebecca is one of the survivors of this grim reality. Now an emerging advocate for girls in her community, she shared her powerful and heartbreaking journey with our writer, Ritah Atuhaire.

Rebecca, a vibrant Ghanaian woman, is the eighth of seventeen children born into a respected Muslim family in northern Ghana—a region with a predominantly Muslim population. Her father, the village imam, held a revered position not only for his religious teachings but also for the social and financial privileges that came with his role. The family was admired as the ideal Islamic household, with well-mannered children and a strong moral foundation. In his sermons and public engagements, Rebecca’s father often used his family as a model, urging others to raise their children with similar discipline and devotion to the faith.

For Rebecca, however, this picture-perfect image came with a heavy burden. Unlike her siblings, she had always felt disconnected from the faith they were expected to uphold. Quiet and introspective, she had begun secretly attending church with her Christian friends, drawn by the music and the warmth she felt in that space. Though her father’s public praise and pride in his family weighed on her, making her feel guilty for her hidden rebellion, she couldn’t shake the pull toward Christianity. She knew that if her secret were discovered, it could bring shame to her family and jeopardise her father’s esteemed position. Still, the more she tried to suppress the urge, the stronger it grew—until, inevitably, her secret came to light.

Forced to Flee

In a typical African village, rumours spread even faster than modern-day social media gossip. So when whispers began circulating about the imam’s daughter attending church, the news quickly reached every ear. The once-revered imam suddenly found himself under scrutiny, with members of the Muslim community questioning him. In response, he clamped down hard. Rebecca was cut off from her friends, pulled out of school, and forbidden from stepping outside alone.

But as is often the case, the more forbidden something becomes, the more irresistible it feels. Rebecca began sneaking out, hiding her Islamic veils and clinging to any opportunity to attend Christian services. Word soon spread to the surrounding churches, and fearful of provoking the powerful imam, many congregations shut their doors to her.

Everything came to a head one day when her elder brother found Christian booklets and a small Bible tucked beneath her bed. With the truth out in the open, Rebecca didn’t deny it—she admitted she wanted to be a Christian. What followed was brutal. Her brother, with their father cheering him on, beat her mercilessly. The imam kept shouting that he would rather have a dead daughter than a Christian one.

Had Rebecca not broken free from her brother’s grip and dashed out of the house when her mother stepped in to calm the chaos, she might have suffered serious harm—or even lost her life. That night marked the end of her life under her father’s roof. He disowned her and declared her dead to the family.

With nowhere safe to turn, Rebecca fled to the bush. It was the only place no one would think to look for her—not relatives’ homes, not friends’ houses, all of which would have been the first stops for her father. In the wild, she learned to survive. During the day, she climbed high into a tree to avoid being spotted by villagers collecting firewood. At night, when the forest was deserted, she would come down and sleep on a bed of leaves. She drank from a nearby river, roasted rats over the smouldering remains of fires left by carpenters cutting timber, and at night, she quietly dug yams from surrounding gardens.

The conditions were harsh, but for the first time in her life, she had the freedom to worship. “Staying in the bush helped me grow strong and develop my ability to survive in any situation,” she says.

Rebecca remained hidden in the bush until an old woman living nearby discovered her. To keep Rebecca from fleeing, the woman reassured her, promising not to betray her trust, just as she hadn’t all those times she’d seen her climbing trees. The old woman took her in, and they agreed to contact only Rebecca’s mother.

Journey to Freedom

Her mother arranged for her to be sent to a friend in the city, who promised to help her return to school in exchange for house-help duties. At first, things seemed to be settling. But the situation quickly turned when the man attempted to sexually assault her.

From that point on, Rebecca’s teenage years became a series of unstable transitions, moving from one household to another. She worked as a nanny and domestic helper, not just to survive, but with a goal in mind. She was determined to one day return to her village strong, independent, and in a position to help other young girls who, like her, had been abandoned, abused, or silenced. That dream was her fuel.

The last family Rebecca worked for recognised her potential. In an act of quiet generosity, they lent her the money she needed to travel to Dubai, where she could earn a better income and begin building the life she had always dreamed of.

Her journey in Dubai, though filled with challenges, is a story in itself—far from a fairy tale. “The experience in the bush and having God by my side have been my pillars of strength,” she says. Today, Rebecca is pursuing her education and extending a helping hand to any girl in need. Her story has become a beacon of hope for young people in Northern Ghana who are fighting for their rights.

Thanks to her courage, some girls facing early marriage under the guise of religious protection are now finding the strength to escape to the city and fight for their futures.

Rebecca’s plan for 2025 is to return to her village, reconcile with her father, and challenge the rigid mindset of village elders and religious leaders. She hopes to open their eyes to the damage caused by extremism and religious intolerance.

With a financial breakthrough, Rebecca dreams of creating a safe camp—a sanctuary for rejected girls, including teenage mothers and survivors of domestic violence. A place where they will be sheltered, accepted, provided with basic needs, and nurtured to become confident, empowered women who can return to their communities with pride.

Edited by “Pius Okore”.