VANESSA VICK PHOTOGRAPHY

Niger Child Brides

Niger is one of the least developed countries in the world. Tradition and poverty force families to marry their daughters when they are still children. Often they believe the only way to guarantee a secure future for their daughters is to find husbands for them to marry at a young age.

Halima Kada, 13 years old, has just begun the seven-day ritual for her marriage to a man much older than her.
   
Ouma Salissou, 13 years old, has been married for one month. Her husband has since left the village to find work.
  
All of Halima’s friends have been promised for marriage and soon will be having their own ceremonies.
     
  
Friends begin the seven-day celebration to prepare Halima for marriage by painting her feet with henna.
   
Mariama Abdou was married when she was 15 and soon became pregnant. During delivery she suffered a fistula injury, since then she has had eight fistula surgeries to repair her injuries.
   
Mariama Mahamadou was married and pregnant by the age of 12. Doctors are not sure if her fistula injuries can be repaired.
     
  
There are almost no opportunities for young girls living in rural areas to get an education past primary level forcing the cycle of early marriage to continue.
   
Tradition and lack of opportunity make the cycle of early marriage hard to change.
   
Friends of Halima help her prepare for her marriage.
     
  
Habi Abou was married at age 13 and gave birth by the time she was 14 years old, she suffered severel fistula injuries during childbirth.
   
Young girls dance to celebrate the marriage of Halima; most of these young girls have already been promised for marriage.
   
The village chief in Maradi cooperates with humanitarian organizations to encourage parents to let their daughters stay in school longer before getting married.
     
  
If a girl becomes pregnant out of wedlock it would bring shame to the entire family.
   
Zeinabore Aboule, 13 years old, and her husband Bala Isaka, 40 years old, have been married for one month.
  
Rainatou Bello, 15 years old, holds her one month old baby Mariama Sidi. Her marriage was arranged when she was 12 years old.