Dear Friends Namaste!
My name is Priyanka, and I am 12 years old. I live in a rural village where life is simple, but there are some traditions that make me worried. One of those traditions is early childhood marriage. I have seen many girls in my village get married at a young age, and it scares me to think that it could happen to me too. But this year, something amazing happened that gave me hope for a different future.
Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan (RSKS India) organized the “My Childhood, My Rights” campaign in various villages, and luckily, my village was one of the selected ones. When RSKS came to our school, their team members taught us about the adverse effects of early childhood marriage. They explained how it can prevent us from pursuing our dreams and reaching our full potential.
Hearing their words made me realize how important it is for us to stand up against child marriage. I felt a sense of courage and determination that I had never felt before. RSKS encouraged us to express our thoughts through drawings about how we wanted to stop child marriage. I drew a picture of girls going to school and studying, free to pursue their dreams without any fear of early marriage. After the drawing activity, we joined together for an awareness rally in our village. Holding banners and signs, we walked through the streets, shouting slogans against child marriage. It was empowering to see so many of us united for a common cause. As we walked, I could feel the energy and enthusiasm of the other children and community members around me. For the first time, I felt like I could truly make a difference.
During the rally, I took a selfie with my friends to capture the moment and spread our message to the rural community. I wanted to show others that we were standing up for our rights and that we deserved a chance to have a bright future. Thanks to RSKS, I now feel more confident and empowered to speak up about what I believe in. They gave us the knowledge and the tools to fight against child marriage, and I am so grateful for that. I hope our efforts during the campaign will inspire others to join us in this important cause. I want to thank RSKS for their incredible support and for empowering me and my friends to stand up for our rights.