The Story of Jessica "Fierce" Osei
University of Ghana Business School
Monday 7:45 am
My heart is beating faster and faster as I keep climbing up the stairs to my first lecture
as a first year student at the School of Business. I rush to sit down close to a handful of new students like myself who were busy talking about tales of University and Campus life their siblings had already shared with them at home.
I resort to minding my own business and sit quietly awaiting the Economics Professor to walk in so lectures can finally begin. I was so excited, I just couldn't wait for my first lecture to begin. Finally, your dreams have come true Jessie. Look at you sitting in this big hall waiting to have your first lecture in a few minutes. Congratulations Jessie. You made it!!! I thought to myself happily.
8:00am... and a man walks in to the centre of the hall. Full beard, trimmed and nicely kept, he was fair in complexion and seemed like a cultured and respected man. Good morning guys, I must say I am really impressed with the number in attendance for a first class today. Quite impressive.
Well, My name is Prof. Hans Anko. My friends and colleague professors and lecturers call me "Electric Current" you guys can call me "EC" for short. Loud shouts and chants immediately begin to fill the big hall from the back EC EC EC EC EC EC!!!!! All the students had already started shouting his nickname before he could even finish his sentence.
With a beaming smile of approval, Prof. Hans raises his hands in the air and cooly begs the other students to stop. While all this was going on, I was sitting and watching everything in admiration.
He continued...before I go any further, let's all get to know ourselves better. Ok, so this is how it goes, you get up, tell us your full name and then you tell us your reason for choosing to study at the University of Ghana Business School.
The first person on the front roll stands up and sets the ball rolling quickly, followed by the next person and the next and the next.
Now, it's my turn to Stand and say my name and reason for being here. My face suddenly flashes hot red with shyness and fear. My name is... My name is Jessica Osei. I said softly. I hope the business school will build me up and empower to be a top female CEO in the corporate world in the future.
Nice curves you have there Jessica. Oh sorry sorry, I forgot myself, I mean nice submission form you Jessica. He remarks quickly.
We end the first class discussing theories and concepts of some important people who formed the first Ideas on the subject of economics.
But somewhere at the back of my mind, I couldn't stop thinking about why a University Professor will lose his thoughts focusing on a female student's body curves and not on what exactly she was saying. I didn't think anything bad of it in the beginning. I just laughed it off as I walked to my hostel. A moment of ignorance, a price I will pay painfully for subsequently.
On our second lecture, a week after the first one, Prof. Hans walks in again, this time holding a bundle of neat white papers stuck close to his chest on one hand and with his micro projector on his other hand.
We will be doing a short test today just to test your knowledge on what we learnt last week. Your results will be reviewed to you in 30 minutes after you finish the test. You have only 30 minutes to complete and submit the test. Good luck to you all.
30 minutes after the test, our results come through. He starts saying each students name and passes their papers to them accordingly. Jessica Osei, he walks up to me hands me my paper and says see me after lecture today, I need you to explain to me why you couldn't pass this simple test.
My answer; Ok Prof. I turned the paper to see that I scored 95% out of a 100. But why is this man saying I should see him later in his office to explain to him why I failed his test when actually I had passed his test??
I began wondering.
I was boiling with so much anger at this point but I didn't want to create a scene because there were hundreds of students in the room. So I decided to go see him as he asked and tell him my piece of mind to his face right there in his office.
I walk to the entrance of his office half angry and half afraid not knowing what he was going to do. Come in Jessica, he said. His office did not look anything like an academic office rather like a rich man's home office with a full library and three wine colour comfy sofas around his desk.
Pineapple juice??? You want some??? Yes prof. Prof.?? Oh please call me Hans. He said jokingly. The room was so clean and tidy that I admired everything there very much. The air condition was blowing cool just at the right temperature just to help me relax my body. Hans sits and leans closer to me. Jessica, has anyone told you how beautiful your eyes are?? No sir, No Hans. He begins to slide his left hand down my tight short skirt and squeezes my thighs a little.
Excuse me sir, What do you think you are doing?? I asked angrily standing up at this point. We are just having fun. Aren't we?? I deliberately failed you so that I can have you here to myself in my office. You are a natural beauty Jessica and I couldn't take my eyes off you the first time I saw you in my class. Your body curves is really crazy. I will be a sucker for your curves anyday.
Scared and confused I pretend to walking towards the fridge which was near his door. He rushes to block the door with his hand.
I will give you anything you want in this world, beautiful girl. This campus shall be your playground. A secured job for you right after you graduate from school. But only on one condition......
And what is that condition?? I asked angrily frowning my face so hard. Isn't there any big stone here I can hit this stupid man in the head with?? I need to make him come back to earth immediately. He has kept too long in the imaginary fool's paradise.
Jessica, my dear, I want you to be my girlfriend. That is the condition. I am sure you are old enough to understand what this really means in the context of a matured man like me.
No, I don't and I won't. I replied in anger. Isn't that a wedding ring on your finger prof.?? Even if you were not married I would not give in. How much less finding out that you are now. This is completely beyond me. Sorry I can't.
At this moment my two hands were lifted high and pressed firmly on the enclosed door with the help of his firm hands. Such that we were facing each other, he looking directly at me with his body pressed to mine uncomfortably.
Why are you making this simple proposal so hard to accept when it should be easy?? Hans said. I'm going to hurt you Jessie, I promise. If you are not going to hurt me, will you at least let me go now? I will think about it. I said. Let you go you say??? I'm not going to let you go today or tomorrow. I need to taste my fair share of God's perfect man-made apple delight before someone else takes a bite. He began to press his body harder against mine and tore my skirt with his bare hands and started raping me. I shouted as loud as I could but he slapped me so hard the side of face hit against the door and I became dizzy. Shut up!! you stupid girl, I was trying to play everything nice with you, but you were so stubborn you could not see. He said in an angry tone.
He continued...now you are all mine and nobody else's. I'm going to jealously keep guard over you. You're mine! mine! until thy kingdom come Jessica Osei. Do you understand??
Mmm Mmm...I murmured softly. I couldn't bring myself to even say yes because I was broken and traumatised. Tears starts to flow down my cheeks. My independence and freedom as a virgin was broken. Not because I chose it to be so out of my own will, but because I was forced to surrender it in the hands of a man i never loved or even cared for. My life is finished!!!!! I muttered silently in my head. He continued to rape me until he finally came. He led a big breath and put me down on the sofa.
My heart skipped a beat I thought he was going to continue again. But he brought a bottle of iced water for both of us. Drink Jessica he said softly and smiled at the same time. It will cool your body temperature down and relax you. I'm not thirsty. I said crying hard like a little girl now. Stop this crying nonsense! You foolish girl, are you a baby?? Didn't you enjoy it too?? What is the crying for?? His faced had turned reddish with anger.
I went straight home and cried all afternoon. My mom came home in the evening and realised that the front door of the house was opened. She was surprised to see me home when school was still in session. I could hear here shouting from downstairs, Jessie, darling is everything alright with you at school? Yes mom it is. Everything is fine. I shouted from my room up top. I came down a few hours later to have dinner with her at the table. Jessica, your face looks heavy and flushed are you ok?? You look like you have been crying, anything the matter??
No mum. Nothing. Don't worry. Something at the back of my mind kept telling me...stop lying Jessie. Tell your mum. This is your chance to do that or never. But I didn't.
I went back to campus the next day feeling a little better. But still feeling vulnerable and afraid. I couldn't concentrate on the other lectures because my mind was completely lost sometimes to my present environment. This confusion continued until mid part of my second year in my second semester. He was still chasing and hunting me down like a dog.
Only this time, I had devised a plan with a few girlfriends of mine who had also faced similar traumatic rape experience at the hands other lecturers and professors. Like me, none of us could report the acts of abuse because we soon realised through our male friends in class that almost all the lecturers and professors know about these things too. And even the female ones protected the male professors from being sabotaged by us students. It was a known Mafia Cartel on campus. We were afraid because we didn't know who to trust with each others' secrets. So we decided to keep it to ourselves and work on our own from now on.
So this time, anytime Prof. Anko came to class he will wink at me with the corner of his eye and text me secretly to meet him at our "usual base" (he meant his office). I will plan with my girlfriends on many escape plans to get out from his office after office after every 5 minutes of entering. From suprise phone calls from other lecturers to bring our assignments immediately to an excuse having heavy menstrual period and bad cramps and many more creative ideas. This worked for us girls pretty well.
We heard devastated news and reports during our final year. And this is where we decided to act drastically to stop this growing abuse once and for all.
We came up with a bold plan. With the help from other girls in the first, second and third year who had also shared with us going through similar ordeals at our secret campus night meetings. We started to tackle and face this menace head on.
We decided to let most of us girls go and boldly seduce most of the male lecturers and professors on campus who were well known (famous) to be doing such things. We always went with body cameras well placed and hidden on us. The cam videos exposed the traps, the snares, the lies and the abuse these academic people put our lives through on campus.
A day before my graduation, I heard about the CNN Freedom Project calling in for entries to submit videos of human rights abuse and societal problems and our journey to freedom. So I submitted my collection of tapes which included videos of sexual acts, intimidation, oppression and finally how we girls took the brave journey to win our freedom back.
We titled the video "The Fierce Girls Project." It won the best amateur video on the night of the awards. The video went on to show live for global audience the next day and the feedback we received was amazing and rewarding. Today I am a counselor for the same school that traumatised me years ago.
I hope my story inspires you to stand up and fight against injustice.
And I pray sharing my story will help bring closure to any girl or boy physically abused in school. Who is afraid to speak.
We are here as your voice!
We stand as one with all victims.
You are not alone! We are together!
Kwame Sarpong | Freelance Writer:
Nyansa365
e: nyansa365@gmail.com | w: nyansa365.blogspot.com
m: +233205832364 | p: +233205832364
f: Otumfour Kwame Sarpong
t: @kwamesarpong25
inst: iamotumfour
L: Kwame Sarpong
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