Young and Vulnerable: Malita’s Story of Trading Her Future for Biscuits

In 2022, while in grade 5, Malita (not a real name) was envious of her friends who could afford various snacks like biscuits, which she could not. In many rural areas, young girls like Malita face significant challenges such as poverty, limited access to education, lack of proper health services, and exposure to risky social environments. An older boy in her community offered her biscuits, but at a cost. Malita involved herself in unsafe sexual activities with him, the provider of the biscuits, which resulted in her becoming pregnant.

"I did not understand the consequences," she recalls.

Pregnant and rejected by her family, Malita found herself in a child marriage within her boyfriend’s family. Tragically, at four months of pregnancy, she lost the baby.

During this difficult time, her boyfriend began to abuse her, leaving her feeling alone and hopeless. Many girls in rural areas face similar risks, early marriage, abuse, and lack of support, often due to poverty, limited education, and social norms that undermine their rights.

Fortunately, Malita was later invited to attend a session at a Youth-Friendly Space at a local health facility, where health personnel educated adolescents about sexual rights and responsibilities. With support from the facility’s matron, Malita was able to reunite with her family.

Through World Vision’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program, which uses games and group sessions, Malita gained vital knowledge about sexual rights, safe choices, and the dangers of unsafe sex.

“I have learned about self-worth, making safe choices, and the risks of engaging in sexual activities at a young age,” she says.

Now 14 years old, Malita has returned to school and dreams of becoming a nurse, so she can help children make safer and informed choices in life.

"People at our Youth Friendly Corner did not judge me; they supported me to get my life back," she shares.

Today, Malita is a peer educator, actively walking around her community to educate other youths on sexual rights and responsibilities.

(To protect her privacy, no real names or locations were used in this story.)