When her story hit the newsstand as the youngest grandmother in recent time, not a few people were amazed at such a phenomenon. Many people expressed surprised how a 23-year-old could be a grandmother at this time and age.
Surprisingly, the reality is that the story is not fiction. Rifca Stanescu of Romania, who eloped when she was 11 years old in 2010, for fear of being forced into marriage, got pregnant, and at age 12, gave birth to a daughter named Maria. As if history was determined to repeat itself, the said Maria too, at age 11, also gave birth to baby Nicolae, though she was married.
But if the Romanians thought they broke the record in the Guinness Book, then they have Mum-Zi of Nigeria to contend with. It was recorded in Wikipedia that the 17-year-old Nigerian in August 1893, was the youngest grandmother the world has ever produced. Said to be a member of Chief Aklari Harem on the Island of Calabar, Nigeria, Mum-Zi at age eight years, four months, gave birth to a daughter, which was named Zi. Interestingly, history also repeated itself, as daughter too, at age eight years, eight months, was also delivered of a baby, making Mum-Zi, a grandmother at such a tender age.
Douglas Iki, an Abuja-based sociologist, is not surprised that such phenomenon is happening. But he was quick to point out that the society needs to be involved in helping to curb such. According to him, one of the main reasons for such occurrence is poverty. “When a girl-child from a lowly background is not adequately catered for, there is every tendency that she will be exposed to those who will take advantage of her. With little or no education, such a girl will be exposed to sex early.”
In addition, Iki said a child from such environment too, would follow suit in like manner. For the boy-child, the sociologist noted that he would be exposed to social vices, which will adversely affect the society in the long run.
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