They arrived in the night without warning. The silence of the village was shattered by gunfire and chaos. “We couldn’t run. Anyone who tried to run was shot dead.”
The village that was once so safe and filled with childhood games and laughter, turned into a battlefield over-night.
For 11-year-old Asiya, life would never be the same.
Asiya’s childhood was stolen from her that night. After being abducted by gunmen, Asiya spent eight long years living in captivity.
Before long she was forced to marry one of her captors, a man named Abdul. And then one day, the unthinkable happened. Whether it was guilt or love, Abdul decided to let her go.
At six months pregnant, Asiya walked for two long days and two long nights. Through thick undergrowth and with no access to food or water, she kept going, spurred on by fear and the will to survive.
Eventually, Asiya made it to a military checkpoint and was brought to a camp, where extraordinarily, she was reunited with her father.
Asiya still has dreams; they are just different now. She is determined to become a seamstress so that she can provide a better life for her and her child.
Stand with girls to end child marriage.
Let Asiya be a child, not a wife.
