Escaping child marriage; Amina’s new found hope in Education

Amina, a 14-year-old Primary Seven pupil at Jewa Primary School in Mbale District, had stopped attending school due to her poor academic performance. For her, the challenges were not just about her grades but rather her parents, seeing no value in her education, had begun arranging for her to marry.

Despite the efforts of the school head teacher, who visited their home several times to persuade Amina to return, the young girl felt defeated and her future seemed uncertain.

“I thought I was not smart enough for school. Everyone kept telling me I was wasting my time, so I decided to stay home,” Amina recalls. Her parents, influenced by cultural norms, believed that marriage was a better option for their daughter than continuing with her studies.

Amina comes from a predominantly Muslim community where child marriage is deeply ingrained in the norms and values. At her age, had she not stayed in school, she might already be a mother. At Jewa Primary School, most girls only reach Primary Five before dropping out, often due to pregnancy, and subsequently entering into forced child marriage that end up resulting into GBV.

“Bufumbo, and Bubyangu sub-counties as well as Jewaa town council are hotspots for child marriage in the entire Mbale district. Unfortunately, we have no development partners to help address this issue,” explained Zaina, the Community Development Officer, Jewa Town Council. “The community believes that when a girl begins menstruation, she is ready for marriage. Many Muslim families also cite the Quran, claiming it instructs them that girls should marry as young as 12”, Zaina emphasized.

The head teacher, Jewa P/S, was concerned about Amina’s situation and did not give up. Along with the senior male teacher, they contacted the Uganda Youth and Adolescent Health Forum (UYAHF) team working under the Giving Girls Voice, Choice, and Control (GGVCC) project, funded by Girls Opportunity Alliance. The UYAHF team had visited Jewa Primary School among other schools earlier to introduce the GGVCC project, which focuses on empowering girls and ensuring they have the support to stay in school.

This time, the team returned to Amina’s village with a clear mission: to talk to both Amina and her parents. Through counseling sessions, they highlighted the importance of education and how it could open doors for Amina’s future, far beyond what early marriage could offer.

“At first, I didn’t see the point. But when they talked about how I could change my future if I just believed in myself and worked hard, something changed in me,” Amina shared,” The GGVCC project has made me see that I have a choice.”

Her parents, after much discussion, also came to realize the value of allowing Amina to continue her education. They agreed to let her go back to school. Amina, with renewed determination, returned to school and even sat for her mock exams which her classmates had finished about 5 days earlier.

“I never thought I would make it back to school, let alone do my exams,” she admits with a smile. “Now, I am ready to sit for my Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) and go beyond primary school”, Amina explained.

Amina’s head teacher, proud of her progress, shares, “It is stories like Amina’s that show us the importance of not giving up on our girls. Education is their right, and we have to continue encouraging and supporting them to stay in school“.

“I now know that I can do anything if I stay in school. I want to go all the way, even to university, I know my parents may not afford but I am hopeful with your support I will”, Amina says with newfound hope.

The impact of the Giving Girls Voice, Choice, and Control project has already begun to show in communities like Amina’s, where girls are regaining the confidence to pursue their dreams. With the right support, Amina’s story is just one of many that demonstrate the power of education and community collaboration in changing the course of a young girl’s lif