CELEBRATING MOTHERS

By AfriKids

27 March 2025

Meet Matilda, a mother of four from Builsa South in the Upper East Region of northern Ghana. She is passionate about gender equality and ending child marriage in her community.  

Ghana is home to 2 million child brides, with 1 in 3 girls in rural areas marrying before the age of 18. Matilda knows that early and forced marriage prevents girls in her farming community from getting an education and is robbing them of their childhood. Instead of accepting it, she’s taking action.

Through AfriKids’ Community Child Protection Champion training, Matilda has gained the knowledge and confidence to build understanding around the risks of child marriage and the importance of girls’ education. She’s learned about child safeguarding, identifying at-risk children, and developing action plans tailored to her community’s needs. With these tools, she’s able to work closely with her Chief, village elders, and families to shift mindsets and protect girls’ futures. 

“Early marriage stops girls across our community from going to school. It’s only through going to school that children can help themselves and build a better life,” explains Matilda.

“I wanted to go to the training so I could help my community. By talking openly, we can create change. After the training, we set up regular general meetings which anyone can attend. We discuss why it’s important that children go to school every day and how together we can support them.

“The Chief of our community is now very supportive and has become a Community Child Protection Champion himself. Early marriage is no longer tolerated, and we don’t see it happening anymore. Most children now go to school. I’m happy to see this change.”

Thanks to Matilda’s courage, more girls in her community are staying in school and building a brighter future.

This year, AfriKids has trained a further 25 Community Child Protection Champions across three districts. There are now 44 champions actively promoting child protection, preventing abuse, and ensuring the welfare of children within their community.

Would you consider making a regular gift to support mothers like Matilda as they lead the way in protecting children’s rights and creating lasting change? We couldn’t do this without you!