Reclaiming their Childhood: Support for Child Brides in Ethiopia

FORWARD is raising funds for the Lijinete Network project which will support girls who have been affected by child marriage.

We need your help to make this project possible!

'Lijinete' is the Amharic word for 'childhood', and through this project, we hope to help girls and women reclaim power over their lives, which was lost through marriage and motherhood in their childhood.

We are working with our partner the Kindu Trust and their sister organisation Link Ethiopia to build on an initiative that creates a network of women and girls who have been affected by child marriage, to reach out and support other girls who may be at risk of the same.

£3,000 will support 14 girls who have been affected by child marriage and motherhood through leadership and confidence building training to become network members.

We need to raise £10,000 so we can reach 25 girls! We will also provide business training and a start-up fund so that the women can be financially independent and support their children. We expect the women to reach out to a further 600 girls at risk in their community, and their savings will be matched at the end of 12 months.

Although child marriage is illegal in Ethiopia, the Amhara region, where we work, has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world.

If you can help us raise £10,000 we will be one step closer to making the Lijinete Network possible!