A Global Advent: 25 Stories of God With Us Around the WorldSample

Chumki has one goal: to become a nurse. It’s a dream shared by teens her age around the world. But for this young woman in Bangladesh, it’s an incredibly provocative notion that is threatened almost daily by poverty and the related threats of child labour or child marriage.

Chumki’s father, Bipul, once promised her that he would support her in becoming whatever she wanted to become. Little did he know how hard it would be to keep that promise.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everything about the family’s daily struggle became worse. Because of supply issues, Bipul couldn’t run his business selling peanuts. Though many of their neighbours returned to rural villages to ride out the pandemic, Chumki’s family had nowhere to go.

As the desperation grew to take care of the family, Bipul began to think about marrying Chumki to a local suitor or seeking a job for her to help support the family. It was a decision that would be against his will—and his daughter’s—but what can a father do when a family’s survival is at stake?

It is estimated that in Bangladesh, 11,000 girls were forced to marry in the first year of the pandemic alone. Experts estimate that globally, an additional 10 million girls will be at risk of child marriage over the next decade because of the effects of the pandemic.

During this time, the local Compassion centre stood in the gap for Chumki’s family. They delivered food to ease the desperation and launched an awareness campaign amongst parents and caregivers surrounding issues of child labour and child marriage.

The Bible tells us to speak up on behalf of the destitute and to defend the rights of the poor. It can be easy to look away or feel overwhelmed. But being aware of the stories of girls like Chumki and not looking away is the first step in our pursuit of justice. Then, Scripture calls us to prayer and advocacy.

Today, Chumki is continuing her studies—her father kept his promise. She is on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a nurse.

What is an issue of injustice you can begin to learn about, pray for and speak up against?