Tales of women at Sea

Decrichelle

32 years old, Cameroon

A mother of two, Decrichelle was forced into marriage after her first husband died in a car accident. The family forced her to her marry her husband’s brother, a man who drank heavily and beat her. She had two miscarriages as a result of this violence. She became pregnant a third time and gave birth to a girl. When the child was six months old, her husband beat her so badly that she ended up in hospital. Soon after, she fled her home with her baby and, with the encouragement of a friend, decided to leave for Nigeria, then Niger, then Algeria. In the desert on the way to Algeria, her daughter fell ill, but without medicines or medical care, she die. Decrichelle had to leave her daughter’s body in the desert and continue with the group towards Algeria. She recalls feeling "an immense and inconsolable sadness".

The first time Decrichelle tried to cross the Mediterranean sea, she was arrested and sent to prison. She was released almost immediately and put in a cab to a brothel where she was expected to work as a prostitute. A couple of Cameroonian friends helped her escape. For six months, she lived in the campos – the empty buildings or outdoor spaces near the sea where traffickers gather migrants – before raising enough money to attempt a second crossing.

"I want to be in a place where I can live like a normal person of my age. I’ve had too much suffering, too much stress. I want to be able to sleep at night. I wanted to be here with my child. It hurts me to think that I am safe but I had to leave her in the desert.”

"I want to be in a place where I can live like a normal person of my age. I’ve had too much suffering, too much stress. I want to be able to sleep at night. I wanted to be here with my child. It hurts me to think that I am safe but I had to leave her in the desert.”