How a Girl’s Future Was Saved: Sharanya’s Story

A game of kho kho at a Hope Center in India. For privacy, Sharanya is not pictured in photos in this story.

Ponytail flying, 14-year-old Sharanya*  chases after a classmate in a lively kho kho match, a South-Asian game of tag. She loves playing games at her Hope Center on the outskirts of a sprawling city in India, and kho kho is one of her favorites.

Besides games, nourishing snacks, and help with her studies, one of Sharanya’s favorite things about coming to her Hope Center is time with her friends. Whenever they meet, they huddle together talking about school experiences, favorite hobbies, and exciting plans for the future.

Sharanya has big plans.

She wants to become a doctor so she can provide free treatment to people in her impoverished community who can’t afford medical care.

Sharanya knows that she can count on her Child Champions to help her achieve her dreams. And to be there for her when she needs an advocate.

Recent experiences have proved it.

Seeing her today, you’d never guess how close Sharanya came to losing all hope for the future.

A Child Champion at Sharanya’s Hope Center helps a boy.

Shattered Dreams and Looming Danger

Sharanya is the eldest of four children. Like many in her community, Sharanya’s family struggles with poverty.

Auto-rickshaws in a crowded interection in India

Sharanya’s father is an auto-rickshaw driver. It’s a demanding job that keeps him out on the roads driving passengers in his open three-wheeled vehicle, even on days of extreme heat. And it’s hard to support a family of six on an auto-rickshaw driver’s earnings.

Last year, under the twin pressures of poverty and local customs, Sharanya’s parents decided that it was time for her to marry, though she was only 13.

India has worked to prevent child marriages, passing laws that set the legal age of marriage at 18 for girls and 21 for boys.

But early marriage is not unusual in Sharanya’s community, and her parents began taking steps to arrange a marriage.

The plans posed a very real danger — not only to Sharanya’s future but her life.

Girls who are married young are more vulnerable to domestic abuse, and they run a higher risk of injury or even death during childbirth.

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In addition to all these dangers, child marriage would have also put an end to Sharanya’s schooling.

A Child Champion helps a girl write a letter to her sponsor.

Suddenly all the dreams Sharanya shared with her friends — dreams of a higher education and of bringing healing to people in need in her community — would have turned to dust.

Resilience in the Face of Fear

When her parents told her they were looking for a husband for her, Sharanya became worried and depressed. It was hard to oppose her parents’ plans, but she found strength to resist by focusing on her goal of completing her education.

Sharanya pleaded with her parents not to force her to marry — but to no avail. It would have been easy for Sharanya to give in to the pressure, but she remained unshakeable, telling her parents how much she wanted to stay in school.

During this time, Sharanya’s parents also stopped sending her to the Hope Center. With marriage in her near future, it seemed she would no longer need the support and development she received there.

But her absence at the Hope Center didn’t go unnoticed.

Meet a Child Champion bringing change to a community of ragpickers in India

Hope Shows Up

When Sharanya stopped coming to the Hope Center, her Child Champions came to her home to speak with her parents.

A home in India

When they learned about the plans for Sharanya, her Child Champions patiently explained to her parents the laws against child marriage and the potential penalties.

Over multiple visits, the champions also helped them understand a child’s right to education and how important it was for Sharanya’s future.

At the same time, Sharanya’s Child Champions encouraged her to stand strong. They prayed for her and assured her that she was not alone.

It was the same message that Sharanya had received in a letter from her sponsor long before her troubles began. Her sponsor had wished Sharaya the best in her studies, told her that she was praying for her, and reminded her of God’s love for her.

Dreams Regained

As the Child Champions continued to meet with Sharanya’s parents, and Sharanya remained steadfast in her determination to finish school, her parents came to realize that early marriage was not what was best for her. With a new appreciation for the importance of an education in their daughter’s life, they relented

The marriage plans were called off, and Sharanya returned to the Hope Center.

Now Sharanya has regained her dreams for the future. She can play games with her friends and talk about her plans with hope.

Sharanya’s Child Champion, Deepika, says she admires Sharanya’s determination and willpower in resisting a forced marriage.

Reflecting on her experience, Sharanya says, “No matter how hard the opposition is, we must never give up and always stay strong. Keep moving forward with your future in mind. Your desire will eventually come true.”

A teacher gives a math lesson in a classroom in India.

*Name changed for the child’s privacy.

Give to the OneChild Partners Fund to help us open more Hope Centers and enroll more children so girls like Sharanya have Child Champions to stand up for them.