<p>Uma Kumari might have once been a child bride at the age of 10, but today, the 17 year old youth is an activist fighting against early marriages in her district, writes Tarannum.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Like most girls in the region, Uma, too, couldn’t escape child marriage. In fact, she is among the 8.9 per cent girls in the state who were married even before they could learn how to spell ‘shaadi’ (marriage in Hindi) on their writing slates in class. The daughter of a tractor mechanic, she was wedded to a young boy when she was only 10 years old as her father thought that being the eldest she should ‘settle down’ early.<br /> <br />At first glance, she’s your quintessential village girl – quiet, unassuming and hardworking. But Uma Kumari, 17, has distinguished herself in her nondescript village of Badgaon in Siddharth Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Together with a handful of adolescents like her, she has been the architect of a campaign against child marriage, a common practice in her district. <br /><br />“My father used to work in Saudi Arabia. After he saved enough money, he got me married as I am the eldest among seven brothers and sisters,” reveals Uma. However, fortunately for Uma, he had to wait for the ‘gauna’ – the formal ceremony after which the girl is finally sent off to her marital home – as he had to give a dowry with her ‘vidai’ (departure), which he still had to put together. Left behind with her mother and siblings, Uma decided to continue her studies. No one had any objection to this, as primary education is free. <br /><br />The turning moment<br /><br />Then, about three years ago, she got the opportunity to meet with the volunteers of Shohratgarh Environment Society (SES), a local non-government organisation, who at the time were all set to initiate the Early Marriage and Early Pregnancy (EMEP) prevention project in Jogiya block of Siddharth Nagar. This meeting changed Uma’s life and her views on marriage, sexual health and pregnancy.<br /><br />“I had seen what early marriage and child birth had done to a few of my friends. All I needed was guidance to connect the dots. My interaction with the volunteers of SES helped me gain a better understanding of the negative effects of early pregnancy,” explains Uma. Encouraged by her mother, she started attending the meetings of young adolescent boys and girls, who were slowly being roped into the initiative.<br /><br />Focussed zeal<br /><br />“Initially, it was tough for me to open up as I am also a child bride. But I found an answer to most of my queries during my interactions with them. In fact, at times bhaiyya-ji who came to speak to us would laugh because I asked so many questions during the meeting,” she recalls with a smile. Her zeal to learn more and also influence many of her friends saw her become a community peer outreach worker. Her main task was to persuade villagers not to get their sons and daughters married before they reached the legal ages of 21 and 18, respectively. And, in case the children had been married off earlier – as happened in her case – she requested them to at least delay the ‘gauna’. A class ten student of the government school, Uma has set an example for the community by deciding to wait for at least four more years before she goes off to her husband's home and starts living as a married woman.<br /><br />Positive influence<br /><br />Incidentally, Uma is not alone. She and other such young girls have the equal support of the boys in their community. Shiv Lal in Geeta’s village knows the pitfalls of early marriage and is now determined to help the youngsters take the right decision for themselves. He elaborates, “I was married when I was barely 16. My mother used to be ill and my parents decided that we should have one more woman in the house. But because of this sudden responsibility, I had to drop out of school and start earning. I know the ill-effects of early marriage.” But when there was talk of his younger brother’s marriage, Shiv put his foot down. He not only successfully stopped his wedding but also won his brother over to his side. “My brother, Shiv Sahai, is only 17 right now. I want him to study, earn and then get married at the right age," says Shiv, who is also helping his wife complete her studies.<br /><br />Tables have turned<br /><br />These days, Shiv Sahai has assumed the role of a peer outreach worker for the project and has been able to stop child marriages in the village. "Early marriages come with a new set of responsibilities for which we aren't ready, emotionally or physically. Youngsters end up with health problems as both the girl and the boy aren't ready for marriage," Shiv Sahai explains.<br /><br />He has now decided that he won't marry before 24, until he completes his education and gets a job. Together with anothervillage youth, he has been able to delay the ‘gauna’ of several teens in Dohni.<br /><br />Influenced by the messages of youngsters like these, Deepak Yadav, 17, of Dohni village, who was married three years ago, hasn't brought his child bride home. Says the responsible teenager, "I know that I have to study and earn first. I want my wife to complete her education as well and only then will we begin our life as husband and wife.”<br /><br />Girl power<br /><br />Uma has single-handedly had the power of positive peer influence. Not only has she stopped over a dozen child marriages and delayed more than two dozen ‘gauna’s, she has also managed to get the boys to understand this grave issue.<br /><br />But while she is out campaigning she does not miss even a single day of school and has even asked her husband to complete his education. “He is in his first year of graduation and is doing a course in computers alongside. He plans to open up a shop where he can key in data. We could not stop our marriage but now I want to complete my studies and want him to earn before I go to live with him," says, this young crusader and trendsetter, determinedly.</p>
<p>Uma Kumari might have once been a child bride at the age of 10, but today, the 17 year old youth is an activist fighting against early marriages in her district, writes Tarannum.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Like most girls in the region, Uma, too, couldn’t escape child marriage. In fact, she is among the 8.9 per cent girls in the state who were married even before they could learn how to spell ‘shaadi’ (marriage in Hindi) on their writing slates in class. The daughter of a tractor mechanic, she was wedded to a young boy when she was only 10 years old as her father thought that being the eldest she should ‘settle down’ early.<br /> <br />At first glance, she’s your quintessential village girl – quiet, unassuming and hardworking. But Uma Kumari, 17, has distinguished herself in her nondescript village of Badgaon in Siddharth Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Together with a handful of adolescents like her, she has been the architect of a campaign against child marriage, a common practice in her district. <br /><br />“My father used to work in Saudi Arabia. After he saved enough money, he got me married as I am the eldest among seven brothers and sisters,” reveals Uma. However, fortunately for Uma, he had to wait for the ‘gauna’ – the formal ceremony after which the girl is finally sent off to her marital home – as he had to give a dowry with her ‘vidai’ (departure), which he still had to put together. Left behind with her mother and siblings, Uma decided to continue her studies. No one had any objection to this, as primary education is free. <br /><br />The turning moment<br /><br />Then, about three years ago, she got the opportunity to meet with the volunteers of Shohratgarh Environment Society (SES), a local non-government organisation, who at the time were all set to initiate the Early Marriage and Early Pregnancy (EMEP) prevention project in Jogiya block of Siddharth Nagar. This meeting changed Uma’s life and her views on marriage, sexual health and pregnancy.<br /><br />“I had seen what early marriage and child birth had done to a few of my friends. All I needed was guidance to connect the dots. My interaction with the volunteers of SES helped me gain a better understanding of the negative effects of early pregnancy,” explains Uma. Encouraged by her mother, she started attending the meetings of young adolescent boys and girls, who were slowly being roped into the initiative.<br /><br />Focussed zeal<br /><br />“Initially, it was tough for me to open up as I am also a child bride. But I found an answer to most of my queries during my interactions with them. In fact, at times bhaiyya-ji who came to speak to us would laugh because I asked so many questions during the meeting,” she recalls with a smile. Her zeal to learn more and also influence many of her friends saw her become a community peer outreach worker. Her main task was to persuade villagers not to get their sons and daughters married before they reached the legal ages of 21 and 18, respectively. And, in case the children had been married off earlier – as happened in her case – she requested them to at least delay the ‘gauna’. A class ten student of the government school, Uma has set an example for the community by deciding to wait for at least four more years before she goes off to her husband's home and starts living as a married woman.<br /><br />Positive influence<br /><br />Incidentally, Uma is not alone. She and other such young girls have the equal support of the boys in their community. Shiv Lal in Geeta’s village knows the pitfalls of early marriage and is now determined to help the youngsters take the right decision for themselves. He elaborates, “I was married when I was barely 16. My mother used to be ill and my parents decided that we should have one more woman in the house. But because of this sudden responsibility, I had to drop out of school and start earning. I know the ill-effects of early marriage.” But when there was talk of his younger brother’s marriage, Shiv put his foot down. He not only successfully stopped his wedding but also won his brother over to his side. “My brother, Shiv Sahai, is only 17 right now. I want him to study, earn and then get married at the right age," says Shiv, who is also helping his wife complete her studies.<br /><br />Tables have turned<br /><br />These days, Shiv Sahai has assumed the role of a peer outreach worker for the project and has been able to stop child marriages in the village. "Early marriages come with a new set of responsibilities for which we aren't ready, emotionally or physically. Youngsters end up with health problems as both the girl and the boy aren't ready for marriage," Shiv Sahai explains.<br /><br />He has now decided that he won't marry before 24, until he completes his education and gets a job. Together with anothervillage youth, he has been able to delay the ‘gauna’ of several teens in Dohni.<br /><br />Influenced by the messages of youngsters like these, Deepak Yadav, 17, of Dohni village, who was married three years ago, hasn't brought his child bride home. Says the responsible teenager, "I know that I have to study and earn first. I want my wife to complete her education as well and only then will we begin our life as husband and wife.”<br /><br />Girl power<br /><br />Uma has single-handedly had the power of positive peer influence. Not only has she stopped over a dozen child marriages and delayed more than two dozen ‘gauna’s, she has also managed to get the boys to understand this grave issue.<br /><br />But while she is out campaigning she does not miss even a single day of school and has even asked her husband to complete his education. “He is in his first year of graduation and is doing a course in computers alongside. He plans to open up a shop where he can key in data. We could not stop our marriage but now I want to complete my studies and want him to earn before I go to live with him," says, this young crusader and trendsetter, determinedly.</p>
