During her ten-year career as a teacher, Maya Pandey from Bangladesh has heard and seen many things. She enjoys teaching and meeting children and young people – their challenges do not go unnoticed. In her home region of the country, child marriages take place, although it is prohibited by law. Sometimes, when they hear about plans for marriage, the school and the authorities try to prevent it.

A child that is growing up is sensitive and needs the protection of an adult. Sometimes we try to spare children from the harsh side of life, but sometimes revealing it is vital. For Bangladeshi girls, awareness of the dangers of child marriage is important so that they can protect their own rights.

Primary school girls have a clear plan for the future and a desire to change the harmful practices in their community. Both of them have seen some of their friends from school being married.

Susan Baroi grew up in poverty, separated from her parents. Now she wants to show love to the children in Dhaka’s slums, she especially wants to encourage girls.

Tania’s story is familiar to 38 million other Bangladeshi girls. 17-year-old Tania’s home was unexpectedly visited by strangers, among them Tania’s future husband. The next time they met was at their wedding when she was married to that adult stranger.

In a workshop held in November 2022, Bangladeshi children and young people were able to share in their own words and pictures about their everyday life and what their dreams are.

When Lipika was in eighth grade, her family and the family of her future husband made a decision that changed Lipika’s life forever. A 14-year-old girl was going to be married. Back then, there was no awareness of the illegality of child marriage.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, table banking groups encourage women to save money and enable them to take out loans. People who do not have access to traditional banks now are able to access capital. With borrowed capital, many start their own business, which improves livelihoods. For women, table banks allow for financial independence.

Fida commissioned an external evaluation of development cooperation in Kenya. It found that the work over the last five years has been highly effective and has contributed to both Kenya’s and Finland’s development goals.

Fida’s Ukraine collection has already raised €1 million. This will allow us to continue our support in 2023.