Timely efforts of our field activists successfully averted a potential child marriage in Hiraj village, located in Maharashtra’s Solapur North district.
On August 25, our partner NGO, Yuva Gram Vikas Mandal (YGVM), received information about the impending child marriage scheduled to take place on September 1. A 15-year-old girl was on the verge of losing her childhood by being married off at an early age. YGVM promptly sprung into action and rushed to the girl's residence. However, it wasn’t an easy road ahead. The situation escalated when the girl's uncle threatened to involve local politicians in the matter.
Unfazed by the challenges, members of team YGVM continued making efforts and eventually managed to convince the girl's family to cancel the marriage. Villagers too came forward and pledged to make sure that the marriage ceremony does not proceed.
The childhood and future of a 15-year-old girl were saved with the collective efforts of YGVM and the community members. The incident also created a deterrence for the villagers so that they refrain from marrying their children before the marriageable age.