Rita was married at 14 and forced to leave school, beginning adulthood with responsibility, limited choices, and limited access to resources. Today, as a small business owner in Madhesh Province, Nepal, she is earning independently and advocating for girls’ education and skills over early marriage.

A childhood stolen by child marriage

Rita was only 14 years old and studying in grade 8 when her life changed abruptly. Her parents, struggling with low-income and guided by the belief that daughters should be married early, arranged her marriage.

“I wanted to study,” Rita says. “But my education stopped there.”

Soon after marriage, Rita became a mother. “My husband left the country for foreign employment, and I was left behind, young, uneducated, and without skills.”

She shares, “To survive, I worked as a daily wage labourer, doing physically demanding work for very little pay.”

“No matter how much I worked, the money was never enough,” she recalls. “When you don’t have money, you don’t have dignity either. Those days were extremely painful.”

“Often, I had to ask my family for money even to meet basic needs. The dependence hurt my self-respect deeply.”

“At times, I felt my life had already ended before it truly began.”

“To survive, I worked as a daily wage labourer, doing physically demanding work for very little pay.”

Rita, Dhanusha

Learning a skill that changed her life

Despite the hardships, Rita made one promise to herself that her daughter would not face the same fate.

“I decided that no matter what, my daughter would study,” she says.

Rita often remembered her childhood days accompanying her parents to the market, where they sold fruits. She would watch women working in beauty parlours and feel drawn to the work. At the time, she believed it was an impossible dream.

“My perception changed completely when I received training in beauty-parlour–related skills.” At first, she did not believe the training could change her life. “I learned the skills,” she says, “but I never imagined I could start my own business.”

With continuous training, encouragement, and support, her confidence slowly grew.

“I learned the skills but I never imagined I could start my own business.”

Rita, Dhanusha

Starting her own business against doubt and skepticism

Starting a business was not easy. Rita’s family initially doubted her ability to run one. There were fears about loans, failure, and social judgment.

“With my decision and my husband’s support, I took a loan from the bank.”

“With assistance from the Child Not Bride project, I opened a small cosmetics shop, offering salon services. Over time, I expanded my work to include tailoring and sewing services for women.”

“I faced challenges, financial pressure, relocation, and uncertainty, but I did not stop. Even after moving to another municipality, I continued my enterprise.”

“Through my work, I proved to myself that I could be independent and build my own future,” she says.

Teaching others to become independent

As Rita’s income stabilised, perceptions began to change. Family members who once doubted her now respect her decisions. Women in the community seek her services and her advice.

“If I hadn’t received business skill training and built my own enterprise, I would still be working as a daily wage labourer,” Rita says.

“Other women in my community see me as an example of what is possible after marriage and motherhood.”

“Today, I earn between NPR 10,000 and 15,000 ($104–$105) per month.”

“My living conditions have improved, and so has my confidence. But my journey does not stop with my own success.”

“I actively encourage girls to stay in school and women to learn skills.”

She teaches beauty-parlour and tailoring skills to other women, helping them move toward independence.

Recalling her own lost education, she says, “Education and skills are essential. Women of the Madhesh have always been left behind. Now, daughters of Madhesh should be given education and skills, not dowry.”

Rita’s journey shows that even lives disrupted by child marriage can be rebuilt. With opportunity, skills, and support, women can reclaim dignity, shape their futures, and inspire change far beyond their own homes.

About the project

Child Not Bride is a four-year project funded by NRK Telethon, led by Plan International and implemented with BEE Group and Aasaman Nepal. It empowers girls and young women at risk of early marriage through education, life-skills, and government-accredited business training, helping them start their own businesses, earn income, continue schooling, and support their families. The project also provides financial and material support to boost independence and build a sustainable future.