Stop Child Marriages Today in Africa

Dear Supporters,

It was three months ago we sent a pledge to all our donors of supporters of donating $20 to save a girl from being saved from being married off in rural Zimbabwe. This is our opportunity to send you a massive thank you for securing food for 40 girls in rural Zimbabwe. Without you the last three months could have been hell for those who are living in poverty. But. As many others we were hoping that it would only take three months for the country to enter into a recovery stage and again open up the economy. That is however not the case in Zimbabwe, which is why we again ask you to ensure that the girls remain safe for another three months.

Thanks to you we were able to provide 40 girls, and their families with food parcels and sanitary wear which were to last for a period of 2-3 months depending on family size. Together with local partners we mobilised food parcels which had the basic products to make the families sustain themselves in the most basic way; mais, sugar, salt oil, sanitary pads, soaps and beans were some of the items which were included and distributed. 

As previously reported, poverty and food insecurity is one of the root causes to child marriages in Southern Africa. Without adequate funds to be able to put food on the table, a common issue at the moment due to the economic recession and lockdown measures implemented in Zimbabwe, many families turn to traditional measures which include child marriages. This is to reduce the daily household costs of providing for an extra child, but also to receive a once off payment known as labola. Labola is a payment made from the future husband to the girl's family, hence an easy and quick income source to turn to at a time of crisis.

However, with your help of ensuring that the 40 families receive food for the next three months we can ensure that the families have no need to trade their girls for labola, that they have food security and that the girls are able to return to school when it is safe to do so.

For the last three months we have, thanks to your support and our incredible partners on the ground we have managed to ensure that 40 girls and their families have experienced food security during this pandemic and that they have not fallen victims of child marriage. However, for as long as this pandemic is causing economic recession and consequently food insecurity girls continue to be at high risk of child marriages. We are therefore asking you to continue to support our cause and the girls in this community as $20 can keep a girl safe for another three months.

Thank you to our Donors, Fundraisers and Supporters! 

With Gratuitude,

Africa Child Marriages

Dear Supporters,

In the end of 2019, the GVI Trust funded 13 women who were recovering from it being trained by a certified cosmetology instructor. This was to give the young women a chance to break the cycle of poverty which often is the reason why they were forced into child marriage originally. By providing economic empowerment, the young women will have the economic ability to leave the forced relationship if they choose to do so or to ensure that their potential daughters will not have the same experience as themselves.

It has been an eventful first quarter of 2020 for the GVI Trust, with many highs and lows, as the rest of the world. In January, the 13 women which were participating in the GVI Trust’s program were busy going through the training in rural Norton, Zimbabwe where they focused on the skills in cosmetology. This included everything from learning how to apply and paint nails, weave wigs and hair as well as provide facial treatments. Whilst the women are yet to complete their course and receive their certificate, they finished the theoretical and practical training in the classroom. The 13 women were in the beginning of March out getting experience at established or new salons to practice the skills they learned in the classroom. Thus, as you can expect, the practical training has now come to a halt due to covid-19 and we are advising all of our project partners and beneficiaries to practice social distancing during this difficult time before we can resume our vocational training. 

Nevertheless, whilst the vocational training has stopped for women who had already fallen victims of child marriages, our work to prevent the practice has never been more important. One of the root causes to child marriages in Zimbabwe is poverty, as marrying off a daughter is expected to reduce the financial burden on the family as the cost of education, health and food is transferred to the husband. In addition, there is a long standing tradition that the future husband pays lobola, bride price to the future wife's family. As the world is expected to go into recession, there is a risk that more and more families will be forced to marry off their daughters early as their household income is decreasing. To address this we are working with our partners, girls at risk, and their families to ensure that they have food on the table to reduce the pressure on parents to make patriarchal decisions about their daughters which are doomed to have horrific consequences in the future . For only 20usd you can provide food and sanitation for one family, for two months. In turn, the 20usd will ensure that the parents get through the toughest time during the covid-19 outbreak before they can return to work and continue to independently support their family.

Whilst our work to provide vocational training to child marriage survivers is put on hold, our work to prevent the practice have never been more important. For only 20usd you can provide food and sanitation for one family for two months and ensure that the daughter will not be married off. This will allow families to practice social distancing and remain safe from the virus which has affected us all before returning to work and supporting their families

Thank you to our Donors, Fundraisers and Supporters! 

With Gratitude,

Africa Child Marriages