CHHATARPUR, DELHI – Meet 12-year-old Sannow, a cheerful girl who has big dreams. She lives with her conservative parents, and four younger siblings in Aligarh. Her father is an autorickshaw driver and mother a homemaker. Sannow studies in class 7 at the Orphan’s Promise School of Life (SoL) Center.
All of a sudden, one day Sannow’s behavior changed. From a bubbly, active child, she turned into a very quiet girl. This concerned her teachers. During one of the home visits, the teachers found out that her parents had arranged this young girl’s marriage. This news left Sannow devastated and heartbroken. She could see her dreams of becoming a teacher vanish quickly; and she became quiet.
Child marriage in India, though illegal, is prevalent among the socially, economically and educationally backward communities. The teachers at the SoL Center decided to intervene and persuade Sannow’s parents to change their minds. They counselled her parents and with a lot of effort were able to convince them to call off her wedding and allow her to continue her studies.
Partners like you made it possible for Sannow to receive the education and support she needed to fulfill her dreams! Your generosity ensured the teachers could reach out to the family and empower them with the understanding of the importance of quality education.
Sannow, delighted with her parent’s decision said, “I want to focus on my studies and become a teacher.”
