Bold and Strong after Surviving Early Marriage
“I gave birth to my first child at the age of fifteen, and after four years, I got divorced and was not welcomed home by my father because of my daughter. We returned to be exposed to physical violence by one of my family members, and this eventually led to my drug addiction”, Hala started telling her story to the UNFPA coordinator - Lattakia, Syria.
Hala, at the age of twelve, was swiftly forced from adolescence to being a wife, leaving her family, dolls, and her rights as a child. Her life became burdened with commitment and responsibilities for her husband, who was always violent with her. Hala tried to seek refuge to her family and ask for divorce, but getting divorce was not acceptable to her family.
Hala was one of hundreds of women who attended the awareness-raising sessions conducted by the Mosaic mobile team. She lives in the same area and got acquainted with the services provided by Mosaic center including vocational trainings that she has always dreamed of learning, such as hairdressing and makeup artistry. Of course, she did not hesitate to register in the vocational training to fulfill her dream. She eventually graduated and started her career. Hala started to work at her home, and she was able to generate income from her work: in the morning she works in a beauty center and in the afternoon she provides the same services to clients in her house. Individual counseling was provided to Hala and she was referred to a psychiatrist who helped her to get rid of the tranquilizers that had dominated her life and eventually Hala got relief from her drug addiction.
Hala's dream was not limited to learning the profession of hairdressing, but also to being a guitarist, and through her income, she was able to buy herself a guitar and register in a special musical course to learn more skills.
Today, Hala, at 23-year-old, is an independent young person who feels bold and strong about her added skills and is generating her own income.
"Early marriage is a common phenomenon in my society, and I will try to fight this problem. I will start with my daughter." Hala concluded her story with a determination to go on and never surrender in life.
