Marriage is considered a moment of celebration and a milestone in adult life throughout the world.
All too often, the imposition of a marriage partner upon a child means that a girl or boy’s childhood is cut short, and their fundamental rights are compromised.
In Asia, over the last thirty years with UNICEF, I have experienced the phenomena of early marriage and child marriage on numerous occasions.
In contrast, that’s thanks to kids determining to marry and have children later in life after careers are selected and managed financial situations with less dire and more secure. While much of the other impact remains hidden, there is no doubt that millions of young people – mainly girls – suffer negative consequences.
The normal age one becomes a grandparent in the Western world is usually between 55-65. So, if you pose those grandparents only come in wheelchairs, rocking chairs, with glasses on their eyes, wispy gray hair, and a glass of water on the nightstand with a pair of dentures, then think again. With the increase of living every five years, then don’t be surprised because with anything, however, there are always exceptions.
So, come, let’s have a look without surprise at the youngest grandparents in the world.
1. Mum-Zi
Mum-Zi is the youngest grandparent in the world!
In 1884, Mum-Zi was barely eight when she gave birth to a girl. Labor is severe enough and one of the most physically challenging acts on an adult human body.
Suppose we disclose a little about the subject matter. In that case, we can all relate to the fact that at this present time, it’s usually seen as something awkward for a lady of 17 years is either round up her secondary school education or she is in university to be a mother, let alone a grandmother. A lot of people would raise eyebrows.
In present-day Nigeria, she was from an island called Akwa Akpa, Calabar. She was a member of Chief Akkiri’s harem in Calabar. Unlike the others on the list, Mum-Zi’s daughter followed her mom’s footsteps and had a child at eight, 8 months in 1884. She is the world’s youngest mother and grandmother ever. In 1884, She gave birth at the age of 8 years, 8 months. She was a member of Chief Akkiri’s harem in Calabar.
A fact to know about:
According to a book written in 1936 by author, Lyell Archibald, The Future Of Taboo in These Islands, Mum-Zi was a member of Chief Akkiri’s harem in Akwa Akpa, who was discovered to be the father of Mum-Zi’s daughter. In simple words, Mum-Zi and Zi both had children for Chief Akkiri. During that era, it was a common practice for chiefs to own a harem of wives as well as enslaved people.
Harem in this text could also refer to a household reserved for princes, but it relates to a female backyard. The role of the harem is to maintain privilege modesty and bring about the protection of women.
2. Marcolo Nersta
At only 17 years old- Marcolo Nersta became a grandmother on Graduation Day. A 17-year-old high school graduate from Walkhk, Burma, walked across the stage and got her degree just minutes after laying eyes on her new twin grandchildren. Yes, they were twins and double the trouble! At 10, her daughter gave birth to a girl and boy.
Fralto, Marcolo’s 18-years-old husband, graduated together; besides the diploma, he also received the additional honor of becoming a young grandparent. It’s easy to assume which gift they treasured more. Moreover, it’s challenging to take the moral justifications in a child giving birth to twins, let alone through just 10-years-old, just one.
A Fact to know about:
Fralto and Marcolo wed when they were nearly babies at eight and seven. Fralto is working with his father in his small plumbing business in their hometown. He has been doing part-time work there since the duo married.
Marcola takes care of her ten-year-old child and infant grandchildren and works part-time doing the books for her father-in-law and husband’s business.
3. Jewish Damascus Girl
At only 21 years old- Jewish Damascus Girl became the youngest grandmother in the Middle East. Throwing light back on history, it was more familiar for families to marry their young daughters. Early marriage is being used to protect girls from sexual exposure or pass the economic burden for their care to others. Thus, early marriage lingers as a culturally and socially sanctioned practice according to some standard sets of values. It may even be on the rise among some highly stressed populations. Following that, the tradition was still held in 1861 for a Middle Eastern Jewish family. A young girl in Damascus was married when she was not even hit double digits in age and at 10-years-old, she became a mother of a child.
It may sound weird, but in an arranged marriage, parents and heads of families make marital choices for their young children with little regard for the personal implications. Her daughter had a girl at just 11-years-old.
A Fact to Know about:
The Jewish Damascus Girl was officially the youngest grandmother in the Middle East at 21-years-old.
4. Rifca Stanescu
At only 23 years old-Rifca Stanescu became one of the youngest grandmothers in the world. Too often, parents can’t afford to keep their daughters at home, but marriage provides the family with economic security (a dowry or a payment in exchange for their daughter’s hand). In the Roma community, it’s bland to get married and have children in step with puberty. Rifca Stanescu gave birth to a baby girl, Maria at the age of 12. It seems nearly impossible to understand, but on the other hand, her daughter Maria Stanescu gave birth to a son, Ion, at just 11-years-old.
A Fact to Know about:
Rifca was forced to arrange marriage at only the age of 2. She opposed her family and as a result, ran away from home at 11 with 13-years-old jewelry seller Ionel Stanescu. After that, they wed, and she got pregnant.
It makes you wonder about the sorts of terrible psychological results that might have on a pre-pubescent girl. That fact wasn’t lost on Rifca, who claimed to stay in school and get an education with her daughter. In 2011, Rifca told a publication, “I am happy to be a grandmother but I wished something else for Maria – and something else for me.”
5. Nikola Kostic
At only 26 years old-Nikola Kostic became one of the youngest grandfathers in the world. He had a son at only 13-years-old. Following his father, his boy, Stanko, also had a kid of his own at 13. When his son made the news in German newspapers of him becoming one of the youngest grandfathers ever, he was shown boasting in a YouTube video.
A Fact to Know about:
Kostic’s parents were in their mid-40s when their grandson, Stanko, became a father. So, Nikola’s parents’ face got a little shine on becoming one of the youngest great-grandparents in not just Germany but likely the entire world. He even showed off a photo of five generations of the Kostic men in the family, clearly proud of his bloodline.
6. Tam Gallacher
At just 27 years old- Tam turned step-grandfather. Tam married his 14 years wife, Yvonne, when he was just a 19-year-old, worked as a Scottish carpet factory worker. The 33-year-old Yvonne had an 11-year-old daughter Sheryl from a previous marriage. Sheryl later gave birth to a baby girl named Brogan when she was 19. With the advent of her daughter, though they may not be linked biologically, Tam became step-grandfather.
A Fact to Know about:
Gallacher carried parenting duties as if she were his own taking responsibilities well, saying, “I feel lucky for and doesn’t take for granted, and becoming a granddad was one of the best things that have ever happened to me.”
7. Belfast Woman
Belfast Woman-The teenage girl became one of the youngest grandmothers. The adolescent parents weren’t shy about sharing the news on their social media accounts. The soon-to-be grandmother chose not to bring any unwanted attention to the new addition to this young family.
According to an article released in March 2015 in the Belfast Telegraph, media coverage for Northern Ireland covers a woman who would be the youngest grandmother in the United Kingdom. The young lady had her daughter at just 14. Following that, mother-of-two from Belfast knew of her 15-year-old daughter becoming pregnant but couldn’t bring herself to get upset considering she had her daughter at just 14.
A Fact to know about:
The teenage boy’s mother mentioned her congratulations, saying, “my precious little bundle so proud of you an [dad’s name] love you.” Thankfully, the newly minted grandma made sure to her daughter and child always to be there as a support and help cope with the difficulties of parenthood.
8. Dale Wright
At the age of just 29 years old,- Dale Wright became the youngest grandfather in Britain in 1997. Dale a 14-years-old digger driver in Warwickshire, United Kingdom, became a father. By the time his son, Stephen, and his girlfriend, also 14, had their child. We’ll see on this list that they tend to follow their parents’ footsteps and have kids at a young age, showing that parents’ amount of influence over young, impressionable children can’t be overstated.
A Fact to know about:
Dale Wright was initially embarrassed by his son’s decision to have a child but later said, “I wish it hadn’t happened, but I couldn’t shout at Stephen too much – I’d done the same thing.”
But Dale was quite proud of the news of him becoming one of the youngest grandfathers ever, and that made him more responsible. The responsibilities indeed felt daunting, but he probably made for one of the coolest, hippest grandparents in all of the U.K.
