Isatu
Sierra Leone
Isatu was born into a poor but loving family in Sierra Leone. Her mother and father struggled to provide for both Isatu and her sister.
When Isatu’s father broke his leg, the family became desperate. In Sierra Leone, situations like this often cause parents to marry off their daughters as a solution for money troubles. If a girl is married, the daughters are considered to be provided for, which takes the "burden" off the parents.
But Isatu’s parents both knew she wasn’t ready for marriage. She was only thirteen years old! Thankfully, the family found the Desert Flower Foundation. It is an organization that supports gender equality for girls. Desert Flower Foundation was able to get Isatu and her sister back in school and help their father get the treatment he needed. Now that Isatu is in school, marriage is no longer a necessity.
Story courtesy of Desert Flower Foundation, a campaign dedicated to gender equality, started by human rights activist Waris Dirie.