From Early Marriage to a Future Stitched with Hope: Azima Bello

Azima Bello's childhood in Zamfara was defined by loss and struggle. Growing up without her mother and facing constant hunger, she was forced into marriage at fifteen. She returned to her family home broken and without hope.

A shift began when Life Helpers Initiative, through the UNICEF Early Child Marriage Project, created a safe space in her community. Alongside other girls with similar experiences, Azima began to heal and slowly found the courage to express herself again.

Central to her rebirth was tailoring. The training gave her a vocation and a purpose. She began to save diligently towards a powerful symbol of independence: her own sewing machine.

Today Azima is no longer defined as a child bride. She is a skilled apprentice, a diligent saver and a young woman becoming the author of her own life.

From the LHI Newsletter.