Mumbai girl rescued from child marriage returns to school
Last year in July, the minor's mother and relatives took her to Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh to get her married to an older man. The Mumbai-based Harmony Foundation NGO, who learned about this illegal marriage through their sources, then alerted the senior AP police officers and successfully rescued the girl.
The Founder-Chairperson of Harmony Foundation, Abraham Mathai, said, "We are happy that the rescued girl,who is now 13 years old, has restarted her school education after a year-long gap.
She lost her father a few years ago, and her mother remarried. However, they were forcing her to get married when she was just 12 years old."
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After donning her school uniform, the girl gleefully went back to her old alma mater, God Day School in Chembur. "I want to become a doctor when I grow up," she replied when asked what her future career plan was.
"Meeting this brave young girl was both heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring.
At just 12 years old, she faced a tragedy no child should ever endure — the loss of her father, the betrayal of trust by those meant to protect her, especially her mother, and the horrifying reality of being pushed into child marriage. Her life was nearly snatched away, and her freedom vanished before her eyes. In a world where hope often feels distant for children like her, justice has thankfully prevailed," said Mathai.
He added that while we often speak of women empowerment, supporting and protecting our girls is not just a slogan — "it's the least we can do. Ensuring every girl child has the right to education, dignity, and safety must remain our highest priority.
He also thanked the Andhra Pradesh police force for quickly acting on their complaint about the forced child marriage.
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