No more child marriage
Mrs: Nilufa Begum (44), husband died: Rahim Akon, one son (19), one daughter (14) in their families. Nilufa sometimes breaks bricks, cuts fish, does earthwork on the streets and runs the family. Nilufa Begum had to take charge of the family due to her husband died. He was from a poor family and lived a very difficult life. Adolescent Club is formed as a name of South Char Montaz under Char Montaz Union, through JAGO NARI with collaboration of IRC under ISEAWACC Project. They are regular member of adolescent Club as per adolescent girls & female Caregiver.
They live in the char area, so they don’t know anything about the outside environment and are unconscious. The elder son’s name is Shakil (19) has not done any education. She couldn’t make the boy human; he goes as he pleases. He does not give any money to the family when he goes fishing in the river. Hangs out, gets drunk, doesn’t come home properly. She did not understand the importance of education for boys and girls because they were not educated. They had understood that the 5th class passes and Quran Sharif for girls and get them married. Boys go fishing when they are 11/12 years old. Not interested in learning anything good. She got married very young ages. Her daughter’s name is Fatema (14) and other girls in the same ages of this community are married. Now, Offer comes for Fatima to arrange merry. If she gets a good boy, then she will marry him. She believed that they couldn’t get married if their daughter reached too old.
Among them, youths are enrolled in adolescent Club through the ISEAWACC project of JAGO NARI. As a regular activity of the project, Girl shine session starts from March. At first, she did not want to come to the session. If you go to the meeting, you will not get anything as a cash benefit. After participating for 1/2 day in the club meeting and girl shine session, she sees her real life together in the session discussing various new topics. If there is any problem, she gets good advice by discussing it in the session. She learned a lot from the sessions. She is mostly aware and likes it on the harms of early marriage, puberty, gender, security, good relationships.
The topics covered in the session were not known in her previous life. She did not know or understand many things. Through the discussion in the session her thinking has changed she understand her son, daughter, and other family member now. She has decided not to give her daughter a child marriage because she has not been able to do anything in life due to her child marriage. She will marry her daughter when she turns 18 years old, and she also understands her future life. By forming the club through JAGO NARI, their boys and girls are getting to know about the same things as fathers and mothers.
No one has done this kind of work with us before and not explained it so beautifully. Boys and girls would have been better off if they had known earlier. JAGO NARI implemented project activities and establishing adolescent club through the ISEAWACC project collaboration with IRC has brought change among us. They have learned a lot since coming to the club and thanks to JAGO NARI and IRC organization for doing such a nice initiative.
Published on: Saturday, 26 July 2025, 09:41 pm ▪ Total View of this Page: 36
