A World Free of Forced Marriages for Girls: Joan Kembabazi’s Mission and Promise to a Friend

Gufasha Maureen was only 13 years old when she was forced out of school and married to a 62-year-old man. Gufasha lost her life to childbirth, not before being sexually abused in a forced marriage.

For Joan Kembabazi, Gufasha's best friend, Gufasha lives on through the Gufasha Girls Foundation.

“I envision a world where every girl is free from child marriage, educated, and empowered,” explains Joan.

The foundation works to ensure no girl is married before the age of 18. With this vision, the Gufasha Girls Foundation reaches 1,639 girls annually and has reached 11,508 girls since its inception.

Initially, the foundation provided mentorship and skills training to help girls make informed decisions for their lives and their bodies. Soon, however, Joan observed the programme could go one more step ahead and leave a lasting impact. “We realised that we cannot fight child marriage without empowering or building capacity of those that are directly impacted by child marriage,” she elaborates.

“I was in my second year of the Incubator, when the idea was born.”

Joan’s vision was to empower girls so they stand up for themselves and their fellows, even in the absence of the Gufasha Girls Foundation. Her vision, combined with the learnings, network and resources of the Incubator, led to the launch of the Gufasha Girls Leadership Academy.

A flagship programme of the foundation, the Gufasha Girls Leadership Academy equips girls with leadership, life and entrepreneurial skills.

As she progressed in the Fellowship, Joan cemented the foundation's Theory of Change, which now guides its impact implementation and measurement. Furthermore, at the incubator, Joan gained the confidence and knowledge to set up Gufasha's first-ever board of directors.

In Joan's words, Gufasha is “...nurturing a generation of empowered girls who lead, influence, and drive lasting change at the grassroots.” Her newfound girl-centred approach is enabling the foundation to bring its vision to life as girls now co-create programmes and learn problem-solving through its leadership training.