After reaching adolescence, Roshida’s teachers at the learning centre noticed that she was missing classes.

For girls living in refugee camps, safety concerns, cultural barriers and a lack of proper menstrual hygiene supplies often prevent them from continuing with their studies. It's also at this age that many families push girls into child marriage.

Child marriage is one of the most common forms of violence against women and girls. However, vulnerable families often consider child marriage to be an act of protection against gender-based violence.

Roshida’s grandmother was particularly worried about her granddaughter's safety going to and from the learning centre every day. Weighing the risks that she saw for Roshida, she decided to search for a husband for the fifteen-year-old girl. “I don’t have long left to live. She needs a man who will take care of her. It’s time for her to get married,” she recounted thinking.

Having noticed Roshida’s absence from the learning centre, a community volunteer soon reached out to Roshida and her grandmother, to offer support that would facilitate the girl's return to school. The volunteer talked with them about the consequences of child marriage: lost potential and agency in Roshida’s life, as well as heightened health risks related to gender-based violence.

They also shared what an education could mean for a girl like Roshida: a chance to learn a profession, reach her full potential and break the cycle of poverty forever.

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