SAVING YOUNG GIRLS FROM EARLY CHILD AND FORCED MARRIAGE THROUGH EDUCATION: ZAINAB'S STORY Zainab is making better choices by getting an education and achieving her dreams! “I am thankful for SMACI and SCI REACH project in my community because it means that they care about us by making us to understand the importance of education." “When a person is educated, many doors open to her. You can have everything and that is the only way someone will achieve his dreams” Zainab (not her real name) lives in a rural community in Talata Mafara local government area of Zamfara State. She lives with her father, who is the district head of the community, and her large polygamous family that consists of her mother, step mother and nine siblings (two elder brothers, five elder sisters and one younger sister). Zainab’s older siblings are all married and she spent most of her time supporting her parents in the farm and in rearing animals, which is the basic means of livelihood in the community. She did not attend school like most of the girls in the community and only boys were allowed to go to school. A major barrier that prevented community members from enrolling their children into school was due to the lack of a school building and the closest school was located in a neighbouring community which is quite far away. According to Zainab, two girls from her community had been enrolled into the school but one was subsequently married off before she could complete her education. In 2018, REACH began implementing its interventions in her community and in a bid to make the programme acceptable to the community, Zainab’s father (the district head) enrolled her and her younger sister as well as some cousins into the CHOICES safe space sessions. As she began to participate in the safe spaces’ activities, Zainab began to feel the need to express her hopes and dreams and soon decided that she wanted to be educated. She spoke to REACH facilitators to meet her parents and discuss the issue of allowing her attain formal education in another community. During the school vacation, the facilitators met with Zainab’s father to discuss with him about allowing his two daughters to attend school and complete their education. As the district head, Zainab’s father pledged to lead by example and promptly agreed to enroll his daughters and encourage other members of the community to do same. Zainab is now in primary one and she goes to school without a uniform and a little bag with one exercise book which she uses for all the subjects. However, this does not deter her as she is determined to achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor, so that she can help sick people especially those in her community and help her parents with a better life. Her school teacher also attests to her determination as he revealed, “Zainab has the zeal of learning, she asks questions in class and pays attention to whatever is being taught in the class.”
Zainab Mafara: REACH Project Beneficiary Zainab is making better choices by getting an education and achieving her dreams!
MAKING HER VOICE COUNT: FATIMA’S STORY Fatima is making an impact on her community with her voice and choosing to be educated. “I am happy that my father includes me when making decisions concerning my future.” Growing up within a polygamous family in the town of Talata Mafara in Zamfara State, 14-year-old Fatima (not her real name) quickly took up entrepreneurial skills by learning and applying the art of henna design on women and girls within her community. Her father, who works as a civil servant with the Agency for Mass Education, manages to provide for his 2 wives and 15 children with his monthly salary. Nevertheless, Fatima has been able to support her family especially her younger siblings from the proceeds of her henna business. However, as the sixth child of her father, Fatima was never considered to be an integral member of the family in terms of decision making within the household as her older siblings were considered to be more knowledgeable. Her life soon took a positive turn when the REACH programme was introduced into her community in 2018. The programme was well received by members of the community who aligned with its goals and Fatima was promptly enrolled by her neighbor who was also one of the programme’s facilitators. Fatima fully participated in all the CHOICES safe space sessions and came away with new knowledge on how to make informed choices that would positively affect her life. Looking back after her graduation from the safe spaces, Fatima explains that the programme increased her knowledge on how to effectively communicate with her parents. She said that after a series of take home activities from the safe spaces which she shared with family and friends, her father was impressed by the outcomes of the programme and the impact it had on her. Fatima revealed that her father now consults her for her views on decisions being made within the household saying, “I am happy that my father includes me when making decisions concerning my future”. The REACH programme, through its safe space sessions has significantly contributed to the lives of adolescents within these communities by empowering them to make informed and good decisions for themselves. The programme has also been able to set Fatima on the path to achieve her dreams. She explains that the program also made her realize that she has the power to achieve her dreams and explore her potentials to make a good living. She is no longer ashamed to ask for support or assistance from people in order to achieve her goals. Her father, who was also inspired by REACH, pledged to support his daughter by stating, “I will make sure that my daughter continues her education.”
Fatima Garbadu: REACH Project Beneficiary MAKING HER VOICE COUNT: FATIMA’S STORY
I APPRECIATE THIS PROGRAMME BECAUSE IT’ SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS WE NOW SPACE OUR BIRTH MY WIFE IS OKAY EVEN OUR CHILDREN ARE OKAY TOO BALKISU story “I am happy that me and my husband we attended the safe space and I save myself and my family now I will only be pregnant when I wish ’’. “we don’t like rushing our birth but we don’t know what to until when we attend the session” Hafsatu (not her real name) joined REACH Program as a Married Girl adolescent (Adolescent sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) last year 15thjuly, 2020 and later she was enrolled into safe space session. Hafsatu a 19 year old adolescent Married as a second wife with two children all the two Children were born in 2 years 3 month Living with her husband and her co wife she is just a new mother when she joint safe space Her husband is a primary school teacher living at Yalwa area of Galadima ward of Talata Mafara, Hafsatu is always worry about her situations because she her first son is 5 month when she got the pregnant of her second Baby and her second babe was just 3 month old she is always fear that she may got pregnant again she live with this fear up to the time that she joint safe space. Hafsatu and Her husband enrolled in to safe space like any other Married adolescent and also seen some women attending and tell her that is bifacial so she developed interest in safe space session with the help her friend who was once a participant in safe space, Hafsatu is getting pregnant as soon as she delver there is no space between her children and She and her children are always sick when she is pregnant After attending safe space she decided her and to consult her facilitator about their Condition after session she talk with facilitator and the facilitator give her the advice and more explanation about the available option for the family planning and after 3 day she come with her husband for more advice and they reach a conclusion of accepting family planning, After 6 month she comeback and tell her facilitator that she is now ok and She and her husband are now happy not as I had that family planning has issue in it
Hafsatu Mafara: REACH Project ASRH Beneficiary I APPRECIATE THIS PROGRAMME BECAUSE IT’ SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS