Rebecca Aluet Mawien Prevented from Early Marriage
“GO! supported school has saved me from forceful and early Marriage” says an orphan schoolgirl in South Sudan.
By Thiik-awet,
AWEIL (SOUTH SUDAN)
A young, orphaned schoolgirl in South Sudan says she is blessed to be part of Global Orphanage Relief sponsored schools where she gets girl child education and other rights to education.
Rebecca Aluet Mawien from Adoor Village School, is 15-years of age, and she says she is lucky to be enrolled in the Global Orphan Relief sponsored school in her village where she enjoys variety of education’s rights.
In a testimony presented during an international women’s day held on March 8th in her village, Aluet says she is among the blessed and luckiest girls to be part of the school where feeding and education is free. She also says being part of this school has enabled her to better understand child and women rights which weren’t easily respected in most parts of South Sudan. She thinks this is an advantage that can help in shaping a better future for her.
“I can say, being part of this school has not only made my appearance different from my fellow village girls, but also my thinking and knowledge of some of my rights which I didn’t know before. Like the right to say NO to forced and early marriage.” Her statement which was expressed to the big rally and gathering during Women Day expresses.
Though forceful and early marriages have ruined many schoolgirl children in South Sudan, Aluet believes her future will be different because she now knows her rights and is able to convince her relatives to allow her to continue with education in order to disrupt the generational poverty experienced in her family.
She is currently in grade seven and wishes to study medicine in her career so that she will be able to help massive population in her village with exemplary traits.
In most parts of South Sudan, early and forced marriages are the biggest challenges ruining chances for girl-child education as they risk being removed from schools and married off to any potential suiters who can meet family’s dowry demands.
Nearly half of all girls in South Sudan marry before the age of 18. A report from Human Rights Watch highlights that dowry often leads families to force their girls to marry as early as possible.
Despite several campaigns and advocacies from international non-governmental organizations and church-based groups to abolish this practice, this is yet to be observed into community cultural norms.
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We have served in South Sudan since 2016 and have provided an estimated 1.2 million meals impacting more than 3,200 children in South Sudan. The scale of this initiative has grown by over 7 times since our launch in 2016, and this growth is driven by the near-famine conditions and other socio-economic challenges in this country.
In cooperation with multiple partners, Kids for the Kingdom & Christ Mission to the World, we have invested in these three school sites with additional infrastructure since Q3 2020 by investing $130,000 for clean water, kitchens, storerooms, and latrines. We are thankful for these partners that make this work possible.
Global Orphan Relief (GO) has been serving orphaned children since 2005. We have accomplished this work through local partners in each country that provides oversight and distribution of care.
You may send support or other correspondence to Global Orphan Relief, 16352 Prairie Farm Cir, Parker, CO 80134 or you may give also give electronically at 2022 South Sudan Nutrition or you may give on this website at the upper righthand corner under ‘Donate’ and choosing Nutrition under the Fund designation.
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Global Orphan Relief is a Christian relief agency serving Orphans in need and a recognized U.S. public charity, tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.