Episode 2.09: Girls Are Never Alone, with Aria Mustary (President of Mai Soli Foundation)

Every minute, 23 girls are being forced into child marriage. Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with 59% of girls getting married before the age of 18 (UNICEF). Mai Soli Foundation is working to end this staggering statistic. In this episode Aria Mustary, the president and founder of Mai Soli Foundation, discusses the social and economical roots of the child marriage issue and their recent pilot launch in schools. Mai Soli is working to empower young girls by introducing an entrepreneurial curriculum that encourages self sufficiency and giving back to the community. The curriculum works to show girls that marriage is not their only option by teaching them to become leaders. She also tells us more about the resources Mai Soli provides them to start their own entrepreneurial pursuits, which will ultimately break the cycle of child marriage. Aria's inspiration for Mai Soli comes from her own mother's experience as a child bride herself, who overcame her circumstances and is now a successful business owner. She expands on what it was like having to start from scratch with her mother and sister, as well as the entrepreneurial qualities that allowed them all to do so - which ultimately sparked the curriculum for Mai Soli. To support this mission or to learn more, please visit: GoFundMe: gf.me/u/w2p4wx Website: maisolifoundation.org Instagram/Facebook: @maisolifoundation Twitter: @maisolifnd For further reading related to this topic visit tdcpodcast.com