"I want to stay in school - not get married"
Listening Despite being against human rights, child marriage is common in Bangladesh. Hiramoni Mosammat is a ninth grader at Sannashir Char Secondary School, in Bangladesh. Here she tells us in her own words about when her family wanted to marry her off earlier this year.
"For days I had heard my mom and dad whispering about a wedding. But I tried to tell myself that it wasn't true. One afternoon, when I came home from school, I felt like my heart would stop. There, in our living room, sat the groom's family - yes, my groom-to-be. I heard my father talking to them about the date of the wedding.
I heard my dad talking about the date of the wedding
After they left, I plucked up the courage to tell my father that I didn't want to get married and that I wanted to continue going to school. I pleaded with him again and again, but he didn't listen. He just said that I didn't have to go to school the next day - that I might as well stop now. It made me so sad. But I refused to give up.
The next morning, I snuck off to school and told my teachers everything. They didn't hesitate. They came home with me and tried to make my father understand, but he wouldn't budge. I didn't want to either. They helped me contact the principal, who called my father for a meeting.
At that meeting, both my teachers and the principal talked to him about how dangerous child marriage is - and how it destroys girls' lives. For the first time, it felt like he was really listening. And finally, he understood.
My teachers and the principal talked to him about how dangerous marriage is - and how it ruins girls' lives
The wedding was stopped. My father promised me that I could continue studying. The next morning he just said: get ready for school. That day I felt free. I felt heard. And I felt hope."
Give a gift for the children. And the world they dream of.
Published: 28 November 2025
