Elena’s brave initiative to stop child marriage

Elena is 14 years old, and she lives in East Kawkhali village of Chota Baishdia Union. Her father Nurul Haque is a farmer, Mother Khadija Begum is a housewife. Elena is a 3rd position daughter of her families; she has a younger brother and elder 02 sisters.  The elder two sisters got married long time ago as an early marriage within her family’s decision.  Elena is read in class eight, and she goes to school regularly. Most of the same ages girls in her village are married at a young age but she doesn’t like at all. She wants to finish his studies and get married, but her parents ignore it. The elder sisters were married at a young age in the same locality, and they are not good.
Suddenly Elena,s parents had discussed on  her marriage  within relatives then she shared her problem with JN union mobilizer and she want to get advice on mentioning problem. She has become very quiet in this fear and her time passed within huge pressure. At the time she had dishearten and didn’t like going to school. She spent in fully worry and fear and she had disconnected within her relative, classmates and neighbors.
JN arranged session on SRH, GBV, harmful effect of early Marriage, child abuse, neglect, and gender in disaster preparedness. She participated in the kawkhali adolescent club session attentively. By attending the club regular meeting and session she developed leadership and lead the club member as a team lead of adolescent club. She also received TOT training on SRH, GBV and disaster preparedness from JAGO NARI and tried to understand the clear concept on crucial message.  She had also a chance to participate sharing meeting and received valuable learning with IRC visitor in the adolescent club. Elena tried to convince her parents but not heard her opinion. She secretly talks to his classmates and discussed it with Lamia, union mobilizer, ISEAWACC project, JAGO NARI. Finally, Lamia communicated her parents, discussed details especially adverse effect of child marriage and Elena,s bright future with continuing her study.  Now, Simple Elena resounded early marriage is a crime according to marriage law. But parents had arranged her marry lack of sincerity, adequate knowledge and not aware on these mentioning issues.
Day by day she gathers clear concept through participating regular meeting and Girl shine session of the adolescent club. After that time Elena empowered and promised in her heart not to get married later as a child in this village.
She secretly organized and committed within six of his classmates to stop early child marriage and enrich the anti-child marriage force in this community. Elena has developed plan within her friends to stop married as a child in this village and they also should have taken initiative and participated social development. Now she is strongly committed to prevent child marriage in the village and stop it in any way. After they started the operation, the first danger occurred and faced huge challenges from her relatives & neighbors. Elena said, all my sorrows have been removed, through involved to JAGO NARI adolescent club, I have learned to understand myself, I am now aware of keeping myself to safe life.”  She memorious her previous situation and shared that she had not scope and ability to say anything to his parents.  After receiving training from ISEAWACC Project, JAGO NARI, Elena has empowered and conscious about her bright future and she can easily discuss to require issues at any time. Her parents also understand great future, realize their wrong decision, and agreed to continue her study. Now, her parents gave her thinking as a top priority and support to execute her plan. She has also hobby to gardening in her homestead, especially vegetable, fruit, and flower garden. In the environmental day, Elena received Guaba seedling from adolescent club of ISEAWACC project and transplant it in her homestead garden. Now Elena is very much happy to pass time and continuing her study within her parents’ with fulfilling her required support. She also thinking to participate socio-economic development in her community with jointly her club friends.