Ebere Anyanwu, 23 years old, Edo State, Nigeria
Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Ebere Anyanwu. I’m 23 years old. I got married last year and I’m blessed with a 6-month-old son. I’m into business and I live with my husband at Wire Road here in Benin City.
Was family planning a topic that was discussed when you were growing up?
Not when I was growing up. I only heard about family planning from my sister who is married and she has been on family planning for two years now, also when Connected Advocacy-TCI Social Mobilizers came to our neighborhood, to talk about it and share some flyers.
How important do you think family planning is to you and your community?
Family planning is good especially for married women. Though I don’t think family planning is meant for married women only. Young girls who are sexually active can also adopt it as it helps avoid pregnancies and unplanned abortions. So family planning is important to the community at large for the married and for the singles.
What does family planning mean for your life?
Family planning teaches me how I can space my kids. Like I just have a 6-months old now and I’m not ready to have another yet as things aren’t too balance for us financially. So family planning will mean a lot to me, to my health and to our pockets.
What kind of progress would you like to see in the area of family planning?
Women should be properly enlightened about different methods of family planning first before any method should be adopted not all women share same body system. There are family planning that make women add weight, others grow big tummy, others fall sick regularly and so on. I feel some service providers don’t guide women properly and that’s why many other women shy away from family planning after they see what it does to their friend’s, neighbor’s or sister’s body. They feel family planning does more harm than good to the body.
Do you have a message or statement you would like to make for other women?
I would advise women to try and make enquiries, get information and ask necessary questions, they should engage the service provider for the best method suitable for their body system instead of just going to health centers and tell service providers the one they feel will be best for them just because is good for someone they know. Women should know that body differs and this is one reason why other women don’t want to welcome family planning because by the time they give them same method their friend uses and is not good on them, they conclude that family planning is bad. They should rather seek proper education, information and guidance on different methods of family planning available.
