Sterility

Sterility in Africa is a terrible thing. It is a tragedy in any society when a couple wants to have children and are unable. But in Africa the stigma is profound. A woman's purpose is to have children, and if she can't she is useless.

A few cultures have found ways to deal with this that don't involve emotionally painful outcomes or the woman becoming an outcast, such as something approximating adoption. But those cultures are in the minority.

One aspect that is not dealt with in this drama is the fact that it could be the husband who has the infertility problem. The assumption is always that it is the woman.

This is the only drama I have written two endings for. The different endings are addressing two streams of culture--one that practices polegamy and that would be a solution (at least for the man) and one that accepts divorce. That also is only a solution for the man. Both solutions sideline the woman. I pray this drama begins to address these issues.

In preaching and teaching in Africa, two of the favorite Bible stories for African pastors are the stories of Sarah and Hannah--women who couldn't have children without miraculous interventions. It seems they reasonate.