In a small town along Ecuador’s coast, girls often grow up with a clear expectation: marry young, raise children, and repeat the cycle. Opportunities for education are scarce, and safety isn’t always guaranteed. For many, dreams beyond the home are out of reach.
That could have been the path for Anielei Proaño, a 20-year-old who grew up hearing that women were “only good for marriage or to bear children.” Instead, her life took a different turn, one powered by encouragement, education and a belief in what she could become.
“I was eight when I became a sponsored child,” she says. “That changed everything.”
Watch Anielei explain how being a sponsored child and partaking in World Vision’s training programs changed the direction her future was heading.
The root of the problem
Across rural Ecuador and much of the world, gender inequality and poverty combine to limit girls’ futures in the following ways:
- Each year, 12 million girls around the world are married before age 18.
- Child marriage remains a threat when families see it as economic security.
- Lack of education and menstrual stigma push girls out of school.
- Poor access to health care and clean water leaves women vulnerable to illness and violence.
When girls are forced into early marriage or denied schooling, entire communities lose potential—fewer women become teachers, nurses, or leaders. Poverty deepens, and the cycle continues.
In communities supported by World Vision, child marriage rates can more than double when crises hit. World Vision reports that nearly one-third of parents in certain refugee settings said that food shortages were pushing girls into early marriage.
How World Vision helped break the cycle
World Vision’s programs in Santa Ana focus on one mission: protect and empower girls. Through sponsorship, mentorship and education, girls like Anielei gain the tools to decide their own future.
She took Gender and Social Inclusion courses offered by World Vision—programs designed to teach leadership, equality and human rights. These sessions didn’t just inform her—they ignited a sense of purpose. Anielei discovered her passion for justice and her dream to become a lawyer, to help other girls claim their rights too.
A ripple of change
Today, Anielei stands as a voice for her generation—confident, educated and determined to make a difference. Her story shows what happens when barriers fall and belief takes root.
Because one person chose to sponsor, one organization chose to act and one girl chose to believe in herself, a cycle of empowerment began—one that continues every time another girl is given the same opportunity.
This giving season, empower a girl to choose her future
A gift of hygiene kits, access to women’s health care, or protection for girls in crisis helps ensure that no girl’s future is limited by poverty or crisis. Your gift not only changes one life, it transforms an entire community.
This Giving Season, your generosity can help more girls like Anielei write their own story—one of strength, equality and hope. Donate today.
Because when girls rise, we all rise.