By the time Lucia Jambaya turned 19, she was already a mother of two.

In Ward 29 of Chipinge District, Mahenye Village, Hlamalani area, Lucia’s days begin before sunrise. She fetches water, prepares meals, and soothes her young children before the heat settles in. Each task is a reminder of a childhood cut short, not by choice, but by circumstance.

“I was married when I was 15. My parents had separated, and no one was paying my school fees. I had stopped school in Grade 4. Staying at home with no support, marriage felt like the only option.”

Lucia’s story is not an isolated one. In her village, girls as young as 12 are married off. Poverty, family breakdown, and social norms converge to strip girls of their right to education, protection, and choice. Climate change has intensified these pressures, droughts and poor rainfall have weakened livelihoods, increased food insecurity, and pushed families to make desperate decisions.

“When there is no food, no money, and no school, girls are seen as ready for marriage. Some parents believe it will reduce the burden at home,” says Lucia

A Childhood Interrupted

Lucia remembers school, the chalkboard, the songs, the dreams. She wanted to be a teacher. Today, that dream feels distant.

“I am not knowledgeable about anything of value in my life. If I had stayed in school, I believe my life would be different. Education is very important. Without it, you are vulnerable,” says Lucia

Her vulnerability was compounded by climate shocks that disrupted learning and safety for girls. During drought seasons, water sources dry up, forcing girls to walk longer distances, increasing their exposure to violence. Floods damage schools and roads, keeping girls at home where the risk of early marriage and exploitation rises.

Lucia now understands the importance of child protection.

“Child marriages must end, especially when parents separate and children are left alone, Girls need protection, not marriage,” says Lucia

Community Voices Calling for Change

Chipo Mwanangendeve, 45, a shop owner at Chizenge Shops and chairlady of the local business community, has witnessed the impact of these challenges firsthand.

“We conducted a local survey to understand why so many young girls are getting pregnant. What we found is that it all comes back to protection issues. Girls are raised to be wives, not children with rights,” says Chipo

According to Chipo, girls aged 15 and under are engaging in sexual activity, often without adequate information or protection. The consequences are devastating, early pregnancies, school dropouts, unsafe and illegal abortions, and girls fleeing their homes.

“Some girls run away because they are afraid or ashamed. Others are forced into marriage to ‘solve’ the problem. It is a cycle we have been struggling to break,” says Chipo

A Layered Response Through RISE

The arrival of the Resilient, Innovative, Skilled and Empowered Girls (RISE) Project, implemented with support from UNICEF, has been a turning point.

“The RISE Project came at the right time, it has kick-started conversations we were longing for about protection, accountability, and empowering girls,” says

The RISE Project focuses on strengthening child protection systems, adolescent empowerment, and community accountability, with a specific emphasis on safeguarding adolescent girls from violence, harmful social norms, and exclusion from education.

Its impact lies in its layering approach, working through and alongside government systems rather than in isolation. FAWEZI provides technical support to key line ministries and local authorities, including the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MWACSMED), the Department of Social Development (DSD), the National AIDS Council (NAC), the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, and District Development Committees.

Through this approach, education, health, protection, and youth interventions are integrated into existing government-led coordination structures at district and community levels ensuring sustainability and local ownership.

Through participatory approaches embedded in the RISE Project, Mahenye village is beginning to challenge harmful norms, strengthen accountability, and respond collectively to the risks girls face from climate shocks to violence and early marriage.

Lucia’s story is a reminder of what is lost when systems fail girls and what can be regained when communities, government, and partners work together to protect them.