Gujarat-based NGOs Host ‘Voices of Survivors’ Workshops to Combat Child Marriage

Chhotaudepur, Gujarat, Sept. 27, 2025: Two Gujarat-based NGOs run by the Salesians of Don Bosco—DRISTI in Kapadvanj and DISHA in Kawant—hosted three Voices of Survivors workshops on Friday, September 19, in Anand, Vadodara, and Chhotaudepur districts. The workshops, part of a week-long campaign to raise awareness and mobilise communities against child marriage, were organised under the Access to Justice programme, supported by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation and aligned with the national movement Just Rights for Children.

In Chhotaudepur district, the session was held at DISHA Don Bosco, Kawant; in Anand district, participants gathered at Kanya Shala, Pandoli; and in Vadodara district, the workshop was held at the APMC Hall in Desar. Attendees at each of the three workshops included youth from DRISTI’s Bridge Programme, members of women’s self-help groups, and residents from surrounding villages.

Each of the three workshops commenced with a prayer and lamp-lighting and featured three core components. First, expert resource persons—Mr Shailesh Parmar (at the session in Pandoli), Ms. Vyom Vasavada (at the session in Desar), and Mr. Dinesh Parmar (at the session in Kawant)—delivered input sessions on the harmful consequences of child marriage on education, health, and community well-being. Second, survivors shared their experiences through moderated discussions, offering emotional testimonies that underscored the long-lasting trauma of early marriage. Finally, participants joined an online session with the national team of Just Rights for Children, connecting Gujarat’s local movement to the broader national campaign and pledging to continue the fight against child marriage.

Speaking to Catholic Connect News, Father Mayank Parmar, Director of DISHA Don Bosco, Kawant, shared that individuals who attended the three Voices of Survivors workshops were visibly moved by the testimonies of survivors, who recounted experiences of forced marriages and their impact on personal growth and dignity. 

“Though it was difficult for them to speak, their stories deeply touched the audience and strengthened the collective resolve against the practice,” Father Mayank said.

A week-long programme preceded the workshops, during which members of DRISTI and DISHA utilised several on-ground tactics to raise awareness and mobilise communities against child marriage. Teams from DRISTI, Kapadvanj, and DISHA, Kawant, visited higher-secondary schools in various districts of Gujarat to run awareness sessions and engage high school students in taking public oaths against child marriage; they also met with religious leaders from various faiths who publicly spoke against child marriage and displayed anti-child marriage pledges at their places of worship. Even Chhotaudepur MP Jashubhai Rathwa joined the movement by taking the pledge alongside his constituents. Volunteers also conducted door-to-door outreach using informational pamphlets to spread awareness against the ill effects of child marriage.

By engaging youth, women’s groups, and faith leaders, DRISTI and DISHA Don Bosco have positioned themselves as key drivers in Gujarat’s fight against child marriage, ensuring that awareness translates into action across villages and districts.

By Catholic Connect Reporter

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