EVERY time I read about the gruelling ordeals sixteen-year old Neesa faced, I cannot help but feel a deep hurt. The extreme cruelty this teen faced has been haunting me for days, leaving lingering questions. I keep asking myself “could Neesa have been saved?” I am not going to bash the authorities about why police reports were not stringently followed up. Instead, I ask myself if there was anyone in this girl’s life that could have gotten her out of the situation – not necessarily a relative, but a teacher, a friend, her religious leader, a neighbour or even someone she might have met even for a few minutes.
Many times we meet people and take for granted the conditions they may live under. We never really take the time to get to know anyone because we are always so caught up in our own busy life. Some of us are so fortunate that we often forget that many people are not as lucky as we are. We are usually so busy going through our day to day activities, that we cannot even read the signs when someone is begging for help.
I am appealing to young women to be each other’s keepers. The harsh reality is that there are many girls facing nightmarish situations like Neesa. Take the time to be a friend, smile a little longer when you meet someone, be a great listener (you do not always have to be the one talking) and be aware of your environment.
And to teachers, take the time to know your students. You might be more able to detect when children are facing violence and abuse in the home.
I am sorry that the death of Neesa has caused me and so many others to think twice about child abuse, but let us use this as an example to save children in her situation.

RIP Neesa. Gone but not forgotten.