BOUBACAR CHERIF BALDE CHOOSES EDUCATION
Students
Boubacar Cherif Balde’s mother gave birth to her at just 13 in the village of Fulani in Guinea. Child marriage is one of the biggest challenges in West and Central Africa. The region is home to six of 10 countries with the highest child marriage prevalence levels globally, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). In Guinea, 47% of children are married before age 18, and 17% are married before 15. In 2019, at just 17, Balde traveled to America to live with her father in Indianapolis in the pursuit of continuing her education and steering clear of forced marriage. “I didn't know my father when I come here,” Balde said. “So, it was my first time meeting with him.” Balde enrolled in the Newcomer Program at Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS),
22 | Ivy Indy
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker