Edith Mokwe

Lagos, Nigeria

Tales of Enekhe: From Udo to Paris

As Enekhe laid on the street of Paris in the pool of her blood, her mind slowly losing consciousness, she could hear the faint sound of an ambulance as it was rushing towards her. But her thoughts were not on her surviving the severe head injury that she already knew was going to be fatal. She thought of her baby, Innocencia, and her husband Philippe, a man in his late fifties but the kindest person she has ever met. When she gave birth to her daughter, she named her Innocencia, as a way of atoning for her past before Philippe, her white knight, rescued her from traffickers. Without Philippe, she knew she would have long died of diseases or in the hands of a deranged and abusive customers, who paid her for sexual intercourse. Sex is big business. Traffickers of women knew this, and in her country, they have built an extensive but illegal prostitution empire, bringing trafficked victims to Europe. How ironic that Philippe saved her from a fate worse than death three years ago, only for her to slip on a snowy day and split her head on the anniversary of that day, December 18th.