Aziza Kibibi, 35, whose music-video director father got her pregnant five times plans to write memoi
Woman, 35, whose music-video director father got her pregnant five times plans to write memoir about her childhood abuse
- Aziza Kibibi, 35, was raped by her father Aswad Ayinde starting at the young age of 10
- Over the years, he fathered four of her five children
- In July, Ayinde was sentenced to a combined 90 years in prison for abusing both Kibibi and her sister
- Kibibi is now married, going to school and running a baking business in East Orange, New Jersey
- She is currently fundraising to self-publish her memoir, Unashamed
- Kibibi also recently won a $10,000 grant to finish college
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The New Jersey woman who was impregnated five times by her father, an award-winning music video director, is writing a memoir about her childhood abuse.
From the age of 10, Aziza Kibibi (now 35) was treated as a sex slave by her father Aswad Ayinde, a music-video director who won fame producing The Fugees' 'Killing Me Softly' music video. But after being convicted of abusing Kibibi and one of her sisters, Ayinde is now behind bars with a 90-year sentence.
Despite being abused by her father, and treated like the other women by her mother, Kibibi has overcome her dark past and plans to put the whole thing behind her by publishing a memoir.
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Sharing her story: Aziza Kibibi, 35, plans on publishing a memoir about her dark childhood. Her father started raping her at the age of 10 and she eventually went on to have four children out of incest
'The number one solution for ending something that is dark is to bring it to light,' Kibibi said in a fundraising video.
Locked up: Her father, Aswad Ayinde, now faces a combined 90 years in prison for the sexual abuses he committed against two of his daughters
Kibibi recently started a campaign on Indiegogo to raise 19,000 to self-publish her book, titled Unashamed.
It took her three years to write the 410 page manuscript about her polygamous family upbringing.
She says she wants to share her story in order to 'raise awareness and lend a voice to those that are and have been abused'.
The book is set to be published next June.
Kibibi also recently won a $10,0000 college grant from Soroptimist, a female empowerment organization.
'Many of the women that have received the grant have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, sexual and domestic violence, the death of a spouse, and substance abuse,' Soroptimist said in an announcement.
The grant will help Kibibi finish college. She is currently attending Essex County College.
Last August, Kibibi shared the story of her tumultuous childhood with NJ.com.
Her early life was relatively normal. She lived with her mother and father on the third-floor of an apartment in Paterson, New Jersey, with her Jamaican immigrant grandparents living below.
Kibibi was home-schooled but still allowed to play with the neighborhood children. When her family grew to include eight children they moved into a bigger apartment in the same building.
Double life: Kibibi's father became famous for directing the music video for The Fugees' song 'Killing Me Softly'
It was when Kibibi started to mature that her father started giving her unwanted attention.
'He told me I was special. Initially, it was to teach me to be a woman,' she said. 'By the time he started having intercourse with me, he was getting more and more violent. When I would start fighting him, he would hit me. It was more about threats.'
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ShareHer father began to change, and became more controlling over the family. He moved them out of their grandparent's apartment to another house in Paterson before relocating to Eatontown in Southern New Jersey. The children were only allowed to watch a small amount of TV, and nothing that depicted traditional family life.
Modern medicine was outlawed in the house, and he actually told his wife that his relations with Kibibi were to treat her eczema.
Getting her degree: Kibibi recently won a $10,000 scholarship to finish college from a female empowerment organization. She currently attends Essex County College
Kibibi wasn't the only one Ayinde was having sex with. He had a mistress - a Manhattan lawyer whom he had another two children with - and was also abusing one of Kibibi's sisters.
He called himself a polygamist and a prophet. His family was allowed to pray to god but could only do so through him.
'He said the world was going to end, and it was just going to be him and his offspring and that he was chosen,' his ex-wife, Beverly Ayinde testified at a 2010 pre-trial hearing. She said he was attempting to create a 'pure' bloodline by procreating with his daughters.
When Kibibi's first child was born without defects, Ayinde took it as proof and continued to rape the girl to get her pregnant.
Damaging: Kibibi gave birth to five children by her father, and many of them inherited a rare genetic disorder due to inbreeding
But the following children would not be so lucky. Two further daughters born from her father would be diagnosed with phenylketonuria (PKU) a disease that prevents the body from breaking down amino acids. PKU can cause brain damage and seizures.
Dr. Anna Haroutunian, a PKU specialist who has treated Kibibi's children, said they definitely got the disease because of inbreeding.
PKU is a recessive gene, so both parents must have the gene in order for it to pass along to the child. The gene only appears at a rate of 1 in 4,000 world wide and is much lower for African-Americans. Likely Kibibi's paternal grandfather had the gene.
Over the years, Kibibi became obsessed with escaping. She would sleep just because her dreams were better than real life.
Saved: When she was younger, Kibibi would dream of escaping her father. Eventually she did when she brought her sick son to a hospital and triggered a social worker to step in
'I'd dream about running away. I'd dream about getting all my brothers and sisters — one of my sisters was a baby, and I was taking care of her — I'd dream about growing breasts and getting milk and running away with them somewhere,' she said.
When she was older and one of her sons fell sick, she finally got the courage to take him to the hospital since Ayinde was out of town on a business trip.
But she didn't know how to interact with the doctors and a social worker stepped in, alerting the Department of Youth and Family Services.
When Ayinde returned from his business trip he was enraged, and threatened to forcibly remove his son from the hospital.
Child services stepped in before he could do that and placed them in separate homes.
Ambition: In addition to attending school, Kibibi runs her own bakery business
After that Kibibi, her mother and her sisters moved away from Ayinde as she attempted to get her children back.
Her performance in state-mandated courses and counseling impressed the government officials and eventually her children were returned to her.
'She has been an exceptional mother,' Haroutunian said. 'She was so attentive and patient, it's remarkable. For a young girl - with all she's had - she has been just wonderful.'
Having to fight to get her children back also empowered Kibibi, and translated to her life after abuse. She now lives in East Orange, New Jersey with her husband.
Defects: When Kibibi's first child was born without defects, Ayinde took it as a sign that he was creating a 'pure' bloodline
She went back to school for her GED and will finish her liberal arts degree from Essex County College this fall. She also runs her own baking business and plans to start a restaurant someday.
Kibibi and her sister decided to finally bring charges against their abusive father. They delayed pressing charges since they were unsure the affect it would have on the children.
She shared her story in hopes of making a difference with those in a similar situation.
'Instead of just being an experience that I had, maybe this strengthened me. What doesn't break us makes us stronger.'
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