When she refused his proposal, his family bullied her, let her go hungry, burdened her with household work, teased—and threatened her.

Hawa was 12 years old.

“They did everything they could to get me to accept my cousin’s proposal,” Hawa said, “No one heard my cries when they beat me. I felt hopeless…. My life had no meaning.”

For World Renew program consultant in Senegal, Esther Kuhn, “seeing teens like Hawa develop their potential and become active, vocal members of their communities is a joy.” This year World Renew expanded its work in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, to include 250 additional members in its adolescent health program, including Hawa. While the girls are hard to find because they are out of school and spend most of their time doing housework, Kuhn says there are many of them.

“Even in a peaceful country like Senegal, most people are still poor and vulnerable to malnutrition, ill-health, unemployment, marginalization, and lack of education,” Kuhn said. “It’s heartbreaking when people can’t use their talents or reach their goals because they lack resources and opportunities.”

World Renew is committed to gender justice and reconciling relationships in ministry efforts with people who live in poverty, disaster, and in unjust structures and situations. This means helping communities right some terrible wrongs, such as domestic violence, forced and early marriage, female genital mutilation, honor killings, human trafficking, female infanticide, abuse, discrimination, and domination.

“As Christ-followers, we need to acknowledge that gender inequity has and continues to perpetuate poverty and injustice around the world,” says World Renew director Andrew Ryskamp. “We work for gender equity in our relationships, programs, and organizational culture. We also stimulate dialogue about gender, faith, and culture with our stakeholders, networks, and church and organizational partners.”

Had Hawa given in to her family’s coercion and married her cousin when she was 12, the negative repercussions would have lasted a lifetime. However, Hawa’s grandmother traveled to her uncle’s village, stopped the wedding preparations, and brought her granddaughter to live with her in Dakar.

Although their lives are not economically better, Hawa is now out of the abusive, isolated situation that developed in her uncle’s home. As a member of World Renews adolescent health program with the Lutheran Church in Senegal, Hawa and her friends are learning from peer educators about health, their bodies, and their rights and roles in their community.

“I am 15 years old, and I have told all of the girls in my group to never accept an early marriage. We need to fight against this injustice.”

“The program aims to show girls that they are valuable, and that they have opportunities and a role to play in their community.” Kuhn says. Many teens like Hawa become part of the program’s youth action groups, receiving a certificate for completing the curriculum and then using it to get jobs at local health clinics.

“I am happy, and I have dreams for the future,” Hawa says. “I have learned a lot in my health group, and I now have the courage to talk about what happened to me. I am 15 years old, and I have told all of the girls in my group to never accept an early marriage. We need to fight against this injustice.”

With opportunities and resources offered by World Renew and our Lutheran Church partner, Hawa has not only made inspiring changes in her own life, she is also inspiring change in one of the poorest urban neighborhoods of Dakar.

On International Women’s Day, will you help families like Hawa’s who live in poverty—not only her grandmother, but also her uncle, aunts, and cousins?

It’s because of your prayers, involvement, and financial gifts that Hawa has the opportunity inspire change in her own life and others.

Join Free A Family® to help World Renew work with families, men and women, to inspire change that transforms.