Bangladesh

As a member of Plan youth groups, she fights child marriage — and even stopped her own.

Child marriage is a complex issue in Bangladesh — there are social, cultural and economic forces at play. But Sazeda learned about the dangers of marrying too young. When her parents said she would have a wedding soon, she stood her ground. She was able to convince them that her education was more important.

Sazeda didn’t stop there. She continued to advocate for young people in her community. The Plan youth group fights exploitation, stops child marriages, returns students to school and reports cases of abuse.

"We organize workshops to draw attention to youth problems,” she said. “We also discuss issues with village leaders and government organizations."

As a youth leader, Sazeda represents children and adolescents like her at local and even national meetings. Her message: Support children, don’t silence them.

"My goal is to create a better environment for all children,” she said. “More attention needs to be paid to the protection of children. They also need to have a voice and think about important topics. All children deserve a chance to change something."

Dhaka is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, but it can’t accommodate its exploding population, so many people are forced to live in slums. That’s where Sohagi lives.

Sohagi’s slum is surrounded by a man-made, polluted lake, and the entire area floods with dirty water when monsoon season arrives. And things are getting worse because of climate change.

“The monsoon season comes every year, but it’s falling earlier, lasts longer and is more unpredictable,” said Sohagi. “Our community is getting waterlogged, sometimes for weeks.”

Who is the hardest hit when it comes to effects from climate change? It’s girls.

Climate change can mean a shortage of food, and often girls are the ones who go hungry. And if their parents pull them out of school to help find food and water, girls are more likely to never return to the classroom. Climate change causes more poverty, which means more girls have to start working early or get married too young.

Sohagi is determined to create change. She’s a youth advocate with Plan, and has been involved in several projects aimed at improving conditions in the slums.

“We, the next generation, are part of the solution,” Sohagi said. “The future depends on us. Let’s get to work - for us, for Dhaka, for the planet.”