A 14-year-old girl took a stand, and stopped a child marriage

A 14-year-old girl in rural India took what she learned in a VIHAAN class, and used it to stop a child marriage in her village.

Sahana* is a quiet but determined 14-year-old girl from a small village in southern India. Her parents work as daily wage labourers, and the family has always struggled to make ends meet. She is the youngest of four siblings, one elder sister died tragically during childbirth after being married at just 13, while another is now married and living in a nearby village. Her younger brother is still in school.

Education had never been guaranteed for Sahana. With no money for tuition classes and limited resources at home, her future seemed uncertain. But everything changed when she joined VIHAAN's Education and Child Safety Program earlier this year.

The classes, launched in March, are designed not just to support school learning, but also to build life skills and raise awareness on critical issues like child marriage, human trafficking, and begging. The sessions include computer training, social activities, and safe spaces where girls can speak up and be heard.

It didn’t take long for Sahana to realise just how powerful this knowledge could be.

In April, she heard that a 16-year-old girl from her village, Meena*, was about to be married off. Remembering what she had learned at Vihaan, Sahana didn’t hesitate. She called Childline (1098) and reported the case. With support from local child protection officials, the marriage was stopped.

Sahana’s quiet courage helped change the course of another girl’s life, and showed just how important awareness and support can be.

“Before, we didn’t even know what was possible,” she says. “Now I feel stronger, like I can stand up for what’s right.”

Sahana’s story is just one of many. Every week, VIHAAN’s Education and Child Safety Program helps girls like her gain not just knowledge, but the confidence to shape their own futures, and protect others along the way.

*Names have been changed to protect identity.