(Above) The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda is partnering with the Zambia Tty to prevent early marriages by supporting girls to stay in school 

I live in a house full of girls, with three daughters ranging from seven to 15 years old. I am constantly encouraging them to work hard, never give up and believe they can do anything. We have a joke in my house that if anything needs to be done, “Mommy can do it.” The reason I push my girls to dream big is because I realize they will probably have to fight harder in this world than their male counterparts.

But my girls are not the only girls who may have to fight harder. The reality of our world is that boys are often afforded more advantages than girls. That’s why the United Nations declared October 11 to be International Day of the Girl Child, to create a global platform to advocate for the full spectrum of girls’ rights.

OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, UP TO 10 MILLION GIRLS ARE AT RISK OF MARRYING AS CHILDREN.

Through my work in the international development department, the fight for girls takes on a global perspective. Did you know that, in many countries, one in five girls do not complete lower secondary school? That four in 10 girls do not complete upper secondary school? That over the next 10 years, up to 10 million girls are at risk of marrying as children? Or that 150 times more women and girls live in poverty than men? In my work with the Brighter Futures Children’s Sponsorship Program, I work alongside territories that are fighting for the rights of girls.

In 2022, I travelled to Zambia, where I sat outside under the sun with many people from a local community to discuss an upcoming project on which we would be partnering: the prevention and mitigation of early marriages. This was one of three communities where the project would be implemented, chosen because they have some of the highest maternal death rates among teenage girls.

We want to change the narrative. We want to advocate for the rights of young girls to finish school, learn a skill and be able to earn an income for themselves. We want to not only empower the girls but also educate the community, so that girls will be supported and encouraged to stay in school. We want to see a reduction in early teen marriages and pregnancies as a result.

Through our partnership with the Zambia Territory, we will provide personnel and resources to the three target communities over the next three years. Teen girls who have already dropped out of school will be given the resources and support to return and complete their secondary education. Local kids’ clubs will be formed to empower young girls. Community volunteers and counsellors will be trained to support girls in the community and to help parents understand the importance of education. Livelihood skills will be taught to young teen moms who did not complete school, with childcare provided.

All these activities will help to raise up strong, educated girls and young women. Statistics show that for every additional year of secondary education, a girl’s potential income increases 10 to 20 percent. This provides greater economic opportunities, reduces poverty rates and improves overall well-being.

We have already formed relationships and partnerships in these communities with school headmasters and teachers, pastors at local churches and medical personnel at health clinics. They all see the importance of this project and want to come alongside and support in any way they can.

Together, we are working to support the girl child. And I dream that one day, girls finishing school and having the same opportunities as boys and men will be the norm. As Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer of Facebook, wrote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”

To learn more about the Brighter Futures Children’s Sponsorship Program and how we are supporting girls around the world, visit salvationist.ca/brighterfutures.

MAJOR HEATHER MATONDO is the assistant director of the international development department.

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