Tej Kumari, Haribai, and Yamuna (pictured above) are honoured here because they were the first 3 girls we lost to child marriage.  Like all other girls at the school, they were enjoying their studies, nutritious lunch, fun playtime, lots of friends, and, most important, they were learning.  One day they did not come to school....   We waited and looked for them, but we never saw them again.  All we were left with is this beautiful photo taken during one of the first school tests we held during the summer of 2003.

We started a school bulletin board, dedicated to the girls we’d lost.  Since that summer, it has been filled beyond what we ever would have imagined with photos of girls, their eyes shining with hope and expectation, only to be obliged to leave school.  We published a detailed report on child marriage on our Spring, 2006 FFLV report.

What have we done to fight this problem?  We’ve tried many things:  
We reported several families to the police since in India, marriage below the age of 18 is not allowed by law, still that has not been a deterrent.

We hold parents’ meetings to impress upon them the importance of educating their daughters.  When we admit children, we have the parents sign an agreement  paper that states they will not marry their daughter until she is 18.  But the deep-rooted attachment to child marriage is very hard for these poor parents to break!   

It has been their custom for many generations and transformation will take time. The sad reality is poverty.  These people get up in the morning focused on how to satisfy their basic daily needs, such as food and clothing. It is very hard for them to envision the potential of their children’s future.

This is a fight against a formidable enemy - IGNORANCE.

But we have come up with an idea that can win over ignorance. 
That is AN INCENTIVE SYSTEM.

One of the major reasons for child marriage is that the younger the child is, the smaller the dowry needs to be. The dowry for a twelve-year-old girl is about $50, whereas for a girl of eighteen, it is $500. One reason for the dowry is that in this society, women become part of the husband’s family and do not inherit anything from their own family.

We have launched a program named "Save Our Girls" in order to combat this social evil. We are asking that sponsors give an extra $5 a month for each girl sponsored. So, instead of $30 per month, a person will give $35. This will give us an extra $60 a year, which will be placed in a special bank account. When the girl reaches the age of 18 and has completed her studies, that money will be given to her.

So, a six-year-old girl will take twelve years to finish her studies. This means a saving of $720, plus 5% bank interest. It is certainly a desirable sum and will be enough for a dowry, higher education or anything else the girl wants to use it for. If the girl is taken from school prematurely, the money will stay in the bank account and will be used to help other girls who finish their studies and reach the legal marriageable age.

We are inviting anyone who is sympathetic to this problem to donate toward "Save Our Girls" to benefit the immediate and most needy cases. Particularly, we ask the sponsors of girls to add a little extra to their child’s monthly adoption. This will benefit their sponsored girl only. We are confident that many of you will take this proposal seriously and will help us make it a reality.

For more information please e-mail to: