52 girls fighting child marriage

The difference monthly donors make possible.     Trouble viewing this email? [View it online.](   January is almost over. It’s not too late for you to start a new recurring gift that is matched this month – and matched again in February and March.   [But hurry – start your monthly gift today.](     [CARE](   {NAME}, I know we’ve been emailing, telling you about the risk of child marriage for 12 million girls this year alone. [Here’s why starting a monthly gift that DOUBLES in impact in January, February, and March]( the difference that can help girls achieve the future they see for themselves.… (read on)   Fighting child marriage: Meet the 52 girls taking their future (and their money) into their own hands. [Group of young girls sitting around a metal box](   Bangladesh has the highest rate of child marriage globally: 29 percent of girls under age 15 are married, while 65 percent are married by age 18 and a half. One of the many complex reasons a girl is married in childhood is financial:   • Her family may need money for food or other necessities.   • Early marriage could remove the financial burden of a daughter – for example, the cost of school.   • The practice of a dowry is deeply ingrained in cultural beliefs.   So when 52 girls formed a village savings group for girls, they took on more than just culture and tradition… they were taking their futures into their own hands.   girl holding money](   They started with just 20 girls. They saw their mothers and other women gaining confidence and financial independence from a CARE Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) group. They followed the VSLA model, and today, their membership has more than doubled. Here’s what else…   In just three years, this all-girls savings group raised 100,000 Bangladesh Taka. That's the equivalent of almost $1,000. Here’s how they used the money:   • Some girls used it to buy poultry animals for their families.   • Some girls bought boats and established themselves as entrepreneurs.   • Others have used the money to complete their secondary studies.   Girls of Harinagar village are now more confident than ever before. As income earners and financial contributors to their families, they have a voice and a means to delay marriage. This changes everything for their futures.   Make 2024 the year you stand up against child marriage. Your new recurring gift in January, February, and March is matched.   [START A MONTHLY GIFT](   [Or make a difference with a one-time gift now.](   CARE’s New Year’s Match has a special fund, which will allow one-time gifts made by February 14, 2024, to be matched and for new monthly gifts to be matched for the first three months – up to a total of $100,000. If your one-time gift or first initial monthly gift is received after February 14, 2024, or after we’ve reached our total match fund, it will not be matched but will still support our lifesaving programs.   [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [X](   Text CARE to 227387 to receive SMS updates about your impact around the world. Give to [CARE.org]( [Privacy Policy]( 151 Ellis Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303-2420 [Get fewer emails from CARE]( | [Unsubscribe Now]( CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. We are known everywhere for our unshakeable commitment to the dignity of all people. © 2024 CARE All Rights Reserved