Bedari is implementing Building Child Marriage Free Communities-Her Choice Program in ten communities of District Lahore. Capacity Building trainings and sessions for girls and boys have proven to be very useful as far as self-confidence communication and leadership skill are concerned. While working in the field areas we come across many cases where girls were been married during their childhood and even in some cases they were divorced at such a young age. The age  a girl has to be playing with her Barbie dolls and toys they became a divorced mother. Nasira is one of these girls. She belongs to a very poor family living from hand to mouth. Basic necessities of life always remained as unfulfilled in her life. Thus she started living in imaginary world. She always felt that after her marriage she will have beautiful cloth and jewelry. Her in-laws will take good care of her and will fulfill all her wishes. Nasira started liking a boy from her family who used to give gifts her. She asked her mother that she wants to marry this boy. At that time Nasira was 14 years old. Since they both get married things gradually went changing. Nasira’s husband was jobless and wasn’t mature enough to take up these responsibilities. Then he started torturing Nasira and blaming her for family’s financial crisis .One day he divorced Nasira and asked her to leave along with her 3 years old daughter. A society where minimum age of marriage should be 18 years, a girl Nasira at the age of 17 became a divorcee with 3 years old daughter. Now Nasira along with her old mother and widow sister has to look after her 3 years old daughter. When she could not find any possible solution concerning her family’s basic needs she went to Councilor (local political worker) of her area for help. Councilor is a CPC (Child Protection Committees) member he referred Nasira to Bedari. Nasira briefed Bedari about her tragic story. Further she shared her future plan that she wants to take admission in beautician course, and then after completion this course she will take it as a profession for earning. Bedari referred Nasira to a technical training institute where different training courses are being offered. The course fee for three months has been paid with the contribution of well-off community members and Bedari Staff Lahore. On completion of this course she will get a certificate along with a beauty kit by the technical training institute so that she may start her work at home. Nasira said, “Since my childhood I saw my father torturing my mother and sister thus I thought of getting married is the best solution to escape from this environment. But I have learned a lot from my experience. Now Nasira’s attitude is changed and giving message to other girls “It is very important to live in a realistic world. Girls education is very important to safeguard them from violence and to enable them for decent job”. Nasira is improving day by day and trying to come out of this bad experience. She said that she will work voluntarily with Bedari and will share her life experience with other girls to save their lives.

Note: The name of the girl has been changed to ensure confidentiality.