Hibo* is one of the millions of students around the world who have been forced to stay away from school since March 2020.
Since there were no systems are in place for distance learning, Hibo's parents saw her sitting idle at home, occasionally revising her notes from previous lessons.
Like many other parents, they thought this was a perfect opportunity to marry her off to save her from this anxiety. They accepted a proposal from a much older man and wanted her to prepare for the marriage.
But Hibo, who is an active member of the child rights group in her school, supported by Save the children, knew this was wrong and not what she wanted for herself. She reached out to her headmaster and asked him to intervene on her behalf. He spoke to her parents they agreed to cancel the marriage and allow her to study.
Child marriage has soared during Coronavirus. We're supporting children around the world to say no. And, as staying in school is one of the main ways a girl can avoid early marriage, we're supporting children to return to their education as soon as possible.
*name changed to protect identity
