15/06/2026
In 2024, our organization embarked on a mission to end child marriages and reduce teenage pregnancies in our communities. When we conducted our baseline assessment, we identified 28 child marriage cases and 40 teenage pregnancy cases. Behind these statistics were children whose futures, education, health, and opportunities were at risk.
Rather than addressing only the symptoms, we chose to tackle the root causes. Throughout 2024, we invested our efforts in learning, planning, and understanding the community through a Community-Driven Systems Change Approach. We engaged parents, traditional leaders, youth, teachers, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to identify sustainable solutions that would create lasting change.
In 2025, we moved into implementation. We recognized that poverty was one of the major drivers of child marriage and teenage pregnancy. Therefore, we invested significantly in economic empowerment initiatives. We established Village Savings and Loans groups, trained parents and youth in entrepreneurship, provided starter-pack loans for small businesses, delivered modern agriculture training, distributed irrigation farming inputs, and supported vulnerable households with livestock such as goats, pigs, and local chickens.
At the same time, we strengthened community child protection systems. We trained Child Protection Committees and Mother Groups on child protection principles, child rights, safeguarding, and case management. These community structures now play a critical role in identifying vulnerable children, preventing abuse, responding to cases, and ensuring that children receive the support and protection they need. By building local capacity, we have created a stronger and more sustainable child protection system within the community.
We also conducted extensive awareness campaigns on the dangers of child marriage, the importance of education, children's rights and protection, and the responsibilities of parents, traditional leaders, and other community stakeholders in safeguarding children.
Understanding the importance of youth engagement, we strengthened youth clubs, trained peer educators, promoted youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, and provided sports materials that encourage positive youth participation and development.
For survivors of child marriage and vulnerable girls, we offered vocational skills training such as tailoring, provided starter-pack kits to help them establish businesses, and supported many to return to school and continue pursuing their education.
Recognizing that education is one of the strongest protections against child marriage, we also worked with communities to revive school feeding programs by supporting local production of maize and soya through community farming initiatives.
To inspire young people, we organized role model days where successful individuals shared their experiences, encouraged children to stay in school, and demonstrated that education opens doors to greater opportunities.
Today, we are proud to report remarkable progress.
By June 2026, our records show only one teenage pregnancy case and no registered child marriage cases within our target communities. This represents a dramatic reduction from the figures recorded at the beginning of the project. More importantly, it demonstrates what can happen when communities are empowered to become active agents of change and take ownership of protecting their children.
This achievement belongs to the parents who chose education over early marriage, to traditional leaders who enforced child protection measures, to teachers who encouraged learners to stay in school, to Child Protection Committees and Mother Groups who protected vulnerable children, to the youth who became peer educators and role models, and to every partner who believed that change was possible.
However, while we celebrate this success, we understand that lasting change requires continued investment. Child marriage and teenage pregnancy cannot be eliminated through short-term interventions alone. Sustainable change requires resilient community systems, strong child protection structures, economic opportunities for families, quality education, and continuous support for vulnerable children.
Our greatest challenge today is not creating impact—it is sustaining impact.
We are therefore seeking partners and donors who share our vision of creating communities where every child is safe, educated, empowered, and free to reach their full potential. Additional support will enable us to strengthen community protection systems, expand economic empowerment initiatives, increase educational support, scale youth development programs, and ensure that the gains we have achieved are maintained for generations to come.
Every investment made today protects a child tomorrow. Every dollar invested helps keep a girl in school, strengthens a family, and builds a future free from child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and poverty.
Together, we can transform temporary success into permanent change.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Firelight Foundation for their visionary partnership, trust, and generous financial support that made this transformation possible. Beyond funding, Firelight Foundation empowered us to adopt a Community-Driven Systems Change Approach, enabling communities themselves to identify challenges, develop solutions, and take ownership of protecting their children. Their investment has strengthened local systems, built community capacity, and created sustainable pathways for children, families, and young people to thrive. We are profoundly grateful for their commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up safe, healthy, educated, and free from the risks of child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
