Project Manavi

Marthamma, a 15-year old girl studying in grade 10 lives with her father and mother in Yadurumudi village. Both her parents travel from village to village selling toys, utensils, and other small items. They often do this on foot to avoid unnecessary travel expenses. In spite of all the struggle, Marthamma was given an education. This girl knew the efforts her parents put in each day and worked hard herself, traveling 4 kilometers to reach her school each day.However, things changed when COVID hit! Her parents could not sell anything and were in a financial crisis. With all this in mind Marthamma’s parents thought that she can have a better life if she is married off. They planned to get her married to one of their relatives. They were ignorant about the ill effects of early marriage and went ahead with the basic formalities of the marriage.

As soon as the project team heard of this, they got into action to avert the child marriage. They counselled the girl’s parents and few other prominent people in the locality about the harm child marriage can do to a girl and sought their help. The team organised a street play in the girls’ locality to communicate the harsh effects of child marriage. It laid emphasis on the consequences of child marriage on the children’s mental and physical health. They also communicated about the laws that are against child marriage and its penal provisions if someone takes the law into their hands and still continues with the practice.

Marthamma’s mother was inspired by the play and was grateful to the whole team who constantly tried to keep their child in a better place.