Envisage being born into a family of a Muslim father and a Christian mother. Not only that, two of your siblings join your father in the Islamic faith leaving you and your mother as Christians, and for that matter, in the Catholic Church.
Not only that, your mother is a member of the Ladies Auxilliary of St John International while you, the proverbial handbag of your mother because you were the last born, found happiness and joy in the other Lodge of the Catholic Church, notably the Noble Order of the Ladies of Marshall.
This is the story of Sister Ramatu Killian Laale Braimah of Court 131 Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Tamale.
Inter-religious marriages in our part of the world are very few especially when it comes to Christian and Muslim faiths.
But Mr Laale Braimah, who was brought up as a Catholic before converting to Islam and his wife, Madam Mary Malbeng, did not allow their religious differences to disrupt their love affair.
For many people this may be surprising as inter-religious marriages are just a few in our country. But this is a happy inter-religious marriage that God has blessed with three children.
Mr Braimah, who was brought up by his Catholic aunt, had to convert to Islam when he relocated to join a relative, who was a Muslim, at Kulungugu in the Upper East Region.
He has remained a Muslim to date and also kept to his only wife, Madam Malbeng.
Growing up
Having been born into a Muslim community and to a Muslim father, Sis Braimah found herself growing as a Muslim until 2003, when she attended an uncle’s ordination as a priest at Bolga with her mother.
Being the last born, her mother took her along anywhere she went and was, thus, referred to as her mother’s handbag.
After the ordination, she told her mother that she desired to become a Christian. From, then on, she joined neighbors to go to Church at Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Tamale.
At the time, the family had relocated to a new vicinity where they were surrounded by Christians.
Changing scenes
According to Sister Braimah, her neighbors participated in nearly all church activities at SS Peter and Paul Church, and that also got her active in those activities.
Along the line, she started attending catechism classes on the blind side of the mother.
Her mother was surprised when she approached her for a Godmother so she (Sis Braimah) could get baptized. That, she said, amazed her mother because she did not know she was attending catechism on her blind side.
After her baptism, Sis Braimah decided to join the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO) and the Knights and Ladies of the Altar, as some of her friends were all members.
She later joined 14J Queen of Heaven, Tamale and later the Tertiary Students Marshallan Association (TESMAG) of Ghana at the Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre, where she participated in conferences and meetings.
Convert
After her first degree at the Catholic University College, Fiapre, there was enormous pressure on Sis Braimah to convert to Islam by her two siblings and members of the extended family.
Her siblings, Abdul Razak Laale Braimah and Adishetu Laale Braimah felt that her return to Islam would make their father happy. So, they resorted to buying her Islamic clothes and garments to entice her to dress up like a Muslim.
But Sis Braimah stood her ground and has never regretted her decision to be a Catholic as she told marshallan.org, “I will always stand up tall among them to defend my choice without fear.”
Adult Court
Having been in the Junior Order for a while, Sis Braimah decided to migrate to the Adult Court in 2019 but financial challenges made her to coil back since she was not employed.
“I could not continue to over burden my mother,” she said.
God touched the heart of Sis Dame Agnes Gandaa and Sis Evelyn Abujaja, who convinced her to join Court 131 Saints Peter and Paul, Tamale in 2021.
According to her, “I do not regret being a part of the Marshallan fraternity”.
Schooling
Sis Braimah attended the Alhassan Gbanzaba Memorial School, Tamale and St Francis Girls Senior High, Jirapa.
From the Catholic University College, Fiapre, she continued to the University for Development Studies, Tamale Campus, for her second degree in Community Health and Development.
Her mother, Madam Mary Malbeng and Sis Dame Gandaa, of Court 131 remain her role models because they have always stood by her through thick and thin.
According to her, her mother has sacrificed a lot to educate her to the highest level, stressing that “she does not care spending all her savings and even going in for loans just to make me happy.”
Sis Braimah said her mother’s support to her religious group has been tremendous.
She said her mother kept encouraging her (Sis Braimah) to join a group in the Catholic Church after school. Being a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of St Johns International and her efforts to support me pay my initiation fees, it would have been difficult joining any other group but I opted for the Ladies of Marshall.
“But she has always supported me since I joined Court 131 of the Ladies of Marshall,” Sis Braimah added.
Sis Braimah said apart from the encouragement and support from Sis Dame Gandaa, her determination to get things done and in the right way, motivates her.
Currently unemployed, Sis Braimah looks forward to gaining employment to give back to society and also support other people who want to join the Catholic Church and the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall.
Write up by Sir Kt Bro Albert K. Salia, Supreme I. T. Officer.