We run targeted campaigns against early and forced marriage, support school re-entry for out-of-school girls, and provide mentorship that changes the trajectory of young women's lives.
Nigeria has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with approximately 43% of girls in the North married before the age of 18. In IDP settings, this figure rises sharply as economic pressure on families increases. Early marriage is both a cause and consequence of poverty — interrupting girls' education, increasing maternal mortality risk, and perpetuating intergenerational disadvantage.
Across Nigeria, over 10 million girls are out of school. Many are kept home due to gender norms, safety concerns, or because their labour is needed at home. Without targeted intervention, these girls — and the communities they could lead — are left behind.
Our Girls' Empowerment programme operates across three interconnected tracks. The first is prevention: community sensitisation, engagement with traditional and religious leaders, and awareness campaigns that shift norms around early marriage. The second is re-entry: identifying girls who have dropped out of school and supporting their return through fee payment, counselling, and remedial education. The third is mentorship: connecting young women with professional mentors who model possibility and provide ongoing guidance.
Working with community leaders, parents, and religious authorities to change the social norms and economic calculations that drive early marriage.
Identifying, enrolling, and supporting out-of-school girls with fees, materials, uniforms, and remedial classes to ensure they can catch up with their peers.
Pairing young women with professional mentors, providing vocational skills training, and creating peer networks that sustain motivation and aspiration.
"I was set for early marriage until the outreach in Kaduna helped my family see another way. Now I am back in school and I want to be a doctor."— Aisha, 14, Kaduna State
Grace & Grey's gender-responsive approach ensures that women and girls are not an afterthought but a primary focus. 55% of all 2025 beneficiaries were female — a deliberate outcome of programme design, not chance.
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