Empowering Girls' Future Without Child Marriage

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We are grateful to share this update on Empowering Girls' Future Without Child Marriage, a project working to protect vulnerable girls in Kawama, Ndola, Zambia from early marriage, school dropout, poverty, and harmful social pressures. Many girls in our community face serious barriers to education, including lack of school materials, menstrual hygiene challenges, long walking distances, household poverty, peer pressure, and limited guidance. When these challenges are not addressed, girls become more exposed to child marriage, exploitation, and loss of opportunity. This project continues to provide girls with the support, confidence, and protection they need to remain in school and build a safer future.

During this reporting period, the project continued supporting girls through mentorship, school encouragement, menstrual hygiene awareness, life-skills guidance, and community sensitization. Through our school and community-based activities, we have reached approximately 500 vulnerable learners, with girls making up about 65% of the children benefiting from our education and protection programs. The project has also continued engaging teachers, caregivers, and community leaders to strengthen support systems around girls who are at risk of dropping out of school or entering early marriage. These activities are helping girls understand their rights, value their education, and speak up when they need help.

One girl, whom we will call Memory to protect her privacy, reminds us why this work matters. Memory is a bright learner who wants to stay in school, but like many girls in Kawama, she has faced challenges linked to poverty, lack of basic school needs, and pressure at home. With continued encouragement, mentorship, and support from the school community, she has remained hopeful and more confident about her future. Her story represents many girls who do not lack ability, but simply need protection, guidance, and practical support to continue learning.

In the coming period, the project will continue focusing on girls’ education, mentorship, menstrual hygiene support, school retention, caregiver engagement, and awareness against child marriage. We deeply appreciate every supporter who has stood with this project. Your support is helping girls stay in school, delay marriage, protect their dignity, and believe that their future can be brighter than their circumstances.