PHOTO: Madam Natt Kamara
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Evelyn Natt Kamara, a prominent Liberian gospel musician and minister, understands the pain of women living with infertility; having waited herself for 15-long years before conceiving and giving birth to her first child.
That’s why she boldly speaks against mockers of women living with infertility.
“Children are not goods that can be bought from shelves in market places”, she said. She is against other women using their fruitfulness to mock women who are unable to bring forth children.
“If you are blessed to have children, you don’t use that to mock at other women who haven’t been able to bear children”, she said, adding that any woman who does so is “a disgrace to God”.
Infertility, which causes many women to have sleepless nights, Kamara noted, is a condition that no one has control over, and must not therefore be blamed on any victim as being responsible for their own condition.
The gospel musician said this a situation that needs public education in order to change people’s perception.
She explained that unlike other women, she was never stigmatized during her period of childlessness probably because of her celebrity status as musical artist in society. But she however remembers walking on people gossiping about her, though no one ever threw any talk in her face as in the case of other survivors.
Madam Kamara recalls how her family was supportive; always encouraging her and telling her to stop worrying but to rather keep assured that at God’s appointed time, she would conceive and give birth, something that eventually happened. She had undergone several medical checks both at home and abroad, and was told nothing was wrong with her.
Role of music against infertility stigma
Amidst all that infertility survivors endure, Kamara believes music has a role in helping build their faith and lifting their personal self-esteem.
The Liberian Gospel music star remembers that during her 15 years of struggle with infertility, she sang a song titled: “You need me and I need you together, we can make it”. She said that song was dedicated to women who have not been blessed with child or children yet, as a way of encouraging them. She said music could also serve as a source of public education and sensitization and elimination of stigma. Elimination of stigma, she said is very important because childless which sometimes result into suicide.
As she awaited the fruit of her womb, she said she persistently sought the face of God in prayer, with her inspiring scripture being Exodus 23:26: “There shall be no barren and miscarriage in the land”.
She held on that strongly because “God can’t lie and whatever He says he will do, He always does”.
Stigma, she noted, is something survivors should not be defeated by because “humans will always s remain humans”. She wants survivors to stop losing faith because age is catching with them, making reference to the biblical Abraham’s wife Sarah who conceived and gave birth in her 90s.
“Just as there are programs for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, STI/STD, family planning etc. there should also be programs on infertility because many women are going through pains”. She also wants infertility to be declared a national emergency and for government to carry out education and counseling as additional means of eliminating stigma. She is, as well, recommending awareness and education for stakeholders. Kamara said upcoming song is a testimonial, after being blessed with a girl child.
Prior to giving birth in 2019, she had adopted two children– a male, 5 months old and a female, 1, who are both her first set of children.
Maxwell Grigsby, Chairman on Small Arms Commission believes that one of the best ways to tackle the infertility stigma problem is through public education.
He said that could serve as an initial step, followed by proclamations and other programs aimed at addressing their plight.