Mary W
Mary’s Story
Mary’s abusive father sought to force her into early marriage in exchange for the dowry of a farm animal before she was even six years old. Mary’s mother, resolute to save Mary from certain cultural traditions and abuse, attempted to escape with Mary many times to no avail. Mary’s father would always find them, beating her mother to force her into submission.
“No words can explain how grateful I am to GLOW. My GLOW scholarship has enabled me to concentrate on my studies and to sit for all my exams as all my school fees are always cleared. This encourages me to work hard for my dreams to come true. Through this scholarship, I will be able to improve myself, my family, and my community at large.
I know I cannot pay GLOW back but the only way I can pay it back is by working hard and achieving my goals. I thank GLOW and GLOW donors for supporting me and for investing in me.”
At six years old, Mary was desperate to escape and successfully ran away to a shopping center. After some time surviving on her own, a stranger found her and took her to a safe house. Although filled with sadness at being forced to leave her mother, Mary realized what was necessary to survive. Through it all, she worked increasingly hard to overcome her hardships, focused on her education, and finished high school. Today, Mary is able to put all of her hard work and drive for education into a college education for a brighter future as a GLOW Scholar.