While her husband does time inside, she serves a harsh sentence in society where she is a victim of stigmatization, in addition to emotional, psychological and sometimes sexual abuse. Her children also suffer.
In most cases, her voice is unheard. The Zimbabwean caught up with Maria Charemba (34) on one of her routine visits to her husband Maxwell (39) in Chikurubi Maximum Prison. He has been in Chikurubi for three years. He was sentenced to 10 years for fraud and theft.
Being a “Prison Wife” was as good as being forgotten because once your husband is in prison, the woman ‘‘becomes the culprit’’ and is regarded as an outcast by society, said Maria.
“It has not been easy for me without my husband. I am faced with overwhelming problems that are financial, emotional, psychological and social. I am trying to keep the household together, until my husband returns. You will not believe it, but I sold off our property to clear debts during my husband’s trial and I am struggling to take care of the kids,” she said.
Because she could not face society as a ‘‘Prison Wife’’, she used to lie to her neighbours that her husband had travelled outside the country.
“When my husband left for prison, it was a period of grieving for me. It was difficult to accept that he had become a jailbird. I knew my husband was involved in deals that he did not want me to know about, but I never thought that they would land him in prison for such a long time,” she said.
“I try and visit him regularly but at times I just wake up and am angry that he left me alone to take care of the family. When I feel like this I skip visits till I am calm again.”
Though some women quickly move on when their husbands are imprisoned for many years, Charemba said she has remained faithful and still believes in her marriage.
“I got married in 2001 and when we exchanged vows with my husband I never anticipated that we would face such problems. I took an oath to be there for him till death do us apart so I will wait for him,” she said.
Post published in: News