Save a Girl from Child Marriage with a Scholarship

This remarkable story from Bangladesh shows you the kind of impact your gifts are making. Dipa was on the brink of being married off, but thanks to you she is now pursuing her educational dreams!

Like so many girls in the poor villages of Bangladesh, Dipa grew up with very little opportunity. Her father was the only person in the family who made any money and as a seasonal fisherman, it was barely enough to feed them. When things got really difficult, Dipa and her brother and sister would go without food for days at a time.

These dire situations led to her parents making a difficult choice -- to marry off Dipa's older sister to ease the financial burden. With her older sister out of the home, Dipa feared that she was next. She did everything to change her parents mind, but without the income to support her schooling, they had little choice but to consider marrying Dipa off also.

Her mother was devastated to pull Dipa out of school, especially as she was such a good student. Her grades were near the top of the class and she had dreams of becoming a teacher. Her mother (a child bride herself) knew that marrying her girls off would affect them for the rest of their lives.

Days before Dipa was due to be taken from school, your gifts arrived and were able to give Dipa a scholarship to stay in school. Thanks to you, this precious girl is now safe from child marriage and is once again chasing her dreams of becoming a teacher.

"I am really grateful," Dipa says with a smile. "Without your support I would not have been able to continue with my studies!"

And you'll be pleased to know that Dipa's mom has now been supported in buying a small sewing machine, that she is now using to boost the family income and make sure that her kids stay in school, and that food is on the table.

Thanks to you, Dipa and her family have a new hope for the future -- thank YOU!