During the school tour we show the story of Kidan a 13 year old girl in  Ethiopia who wants to be a doctor but her mother has already arranged her marriage.

Early marriage is really common in Ethiopia – 60% of girls are married before they turn 18. Kidan’s story always reminds me of my 16 year old friend Banchu who I have spent a lot of time with over the past two years in Ethiopia. This post is dedicated to Banchu and her struggles against early marriage.

Banchu at her 16th birthday party.

Banchu comes from a small remote village in Northern Ethiopia.

When Banchu was 13 years old her mother arranged her marriage. The first Banchu heard of the marriage was on her wedding day. Having no choice in the matter Banchu went along with the marriage. However after being married for 2 days she decided marriage was not for her and that she wanted to run away. With some money from her uncle Banchu ran away leaving behind her community, mother,  younger sister and a pretty angry husband. Arriving in Ethiopia’s capital city Addis Ababa after days of travel by bus Banchu was taken in by a local church. After a few months she was “adopted” by my aunt.

When Banchu arrived to live with my aunt she had never been to school and was nearly  14. This June Banchu will have completed the 3rd grade and is getting straight A’s. She is like most teenage girls I know here in Canada she likes to listen to music, go to the movies and try out new styles with her hair.   Banchu dreams of becoming a pop singer and wants to audition for Ethiopia Idol.  But she also wants to complete her university education first.

Banchu has little communication with her mother who doesn’t agree with her choice to go to school and wants to find her a new husband. Banchu is the first girl in her family to go to school and I for one am pretty proud of her.

She is the one girl who will make a difference in her family.

Banchu Christmas 2009 with my grandmother and with her foster brother Ammanuel