Swathi was 13-years-old when her family had arranged for her to marry her maternal uncle, a common practice in her community. Her family decided on this to reduce the financial burden on themselves, after all their income was barely enough to make two ends meet.
A student with an excellent academic track-record, the proposal came as a shock to her. Swathi had ambitions to fulfill before considering marriage. She wanted to become a doctor.
She informed the team of Nanhi Kali Project, an NGO that works to educate the girls from underprivileged backgrounds, about the proposal and told them that she wasn’t ready for marriage yet. The team started visiting her home to explain to her family the social and legal adversities of marrying off their daughter at such a young and tender age. They also called up the Childline, a helpline meant to assist children, and sought their help in putting a stop to this marriage.
After much counselling, her parents agreed to postpone the wedding until Swathi attains the legal age to marry. However, the Hyderabadi girl has better plans for herself. “I understand that the legal age to get married is 18. But the government clearly did not consider the goals and ambitions of a person while setting this limit. I will only get married after I achieve my goal of becoming a doctor”, she says.
Nanhi Kali is an NGO that works to educate the girls from underprivileged backgrounds. Swathi attends classes at their Academic Support Centre to enhance her academic performance. She has been associated for the NGO for 5 years now.
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