Ipas Logo

Donate Now

Estelle title

Home 9 Our Work 9 Strengthening youth sexual and reproductive health and rights 9 Ensuring girls’ futures 9 Girls are resilient 9 Estelle title

Estelle title

Estelle, age 25, lives in rural Malawi with her seven-year-old son and runs a pastry business.

A woman wearing a bright red headwrap and a dark sweater smiles warmly outdoors, with green trees and a soft, blurred background behind her.

“When I got pregnant at 17, I longed to finish my secondary school education, but my parents forced me to marry the father of my child. With the help of a friend, I approached a group that fights child marriages, and they spoke to my parents, who finally relented. Eventually, I went back to school and sat for my exams in 2024, but I did not perform as well as I wanted.

A group of nine people, including adults and children, pose and smile outside a brick house. Two people are seated, one holding a toddler, while the others stand or crouch around them, all dressed in colorful clothing.

Estelle pictured with her family, Natasha Mbwana, Advocacy and Communications Officer for Ipas partner ECOSID (Entrepreneurs Community Solutions and Innovative Development), Chimwemwe Chatseka, Chairman of the Masewe Youth Network in Nkhotakota, and Clement Kolove, policy and programs advisor for Ipas Africa Southern Region. 

“Our biggest success story is of Estelle. She is a great example because she is now a leader in teaching other young people and has helped reduce our workload because a lot of girls look up to learn from her experiences.”

A smiling man wearing a bright blue "Masewe Youth Network" T-shirt sits in front of a plain brown background.

“I am someone who was assisted by the Youth Friendly Officers and now also contribute to helping fellow youths so that they might change and leave behind those risk-seeking behaviors so that their lives might change for the better.”

A smiling woman in a colorful dress and red headscarf walks beside a man in a blue shirt and dark pants on a dirt path, with trees and a thatched-roof hut in the background.

“I started a small pastry business to raise money for my school fees so I can go back to school. I’ll keep going until I accomplish my dreams.”

“My dream is to one day be a nurse considering what our area is like. There are a lot of early pregnancies due to lack of information so my goal is to help contribute to informing and remedying the issues that lead to this.”

More stories: better title

A young girl in a school uniform sits on a low brick wall, holding a small child on her lap and reading from a book, outside a rustic building on a sunny day.

Chinsinsi

A young woman wearing a taupe hijab looks upward with a thoughtful expression, standing against a textured green wall with a shadow cast to the right.

Nur Aini

A woman wearing a bright orange headscarf and a dark sweater smiles while sitting in front of a textured, brown mud wall.

Estelle

A young woman sits on a stool outside a rustic house, cradling a newborn baby. A red motorcycle is parked nearby, and laundry hangs by the doorway. The ground is muddy and the area is surrounded by greenery.

Bolivia

A woman wearing a pink scarf and red dress stands on muddy ground near wooden boats and trees by a riverbank with water and forest in the background.

Nigeria

We have a job to do. Will you join us?

Young people and their local communities already know what’s needed to fight the injustices of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and school dropout. With our holistic approach and vast network of local partners and experts, Ipas is uniquely positioned to help make lasting, systemic change.

With your support, we’ll build a world where every girl can control her own body and future.

Learn more about our strategy