Sonita Alizadeh

I saw my friends being beaten because they said no to child marriage.

In order to see truly where I am and where I want to go, I need to remember where I once was.

There is a lot of suffering and injustice in the world, and there is also a great deal of hope. When you step forward and start speaking about what you see and what you want to change, you can begin living in that hope instead of despair.

My friends, they get married at 15 years old. I saw them with bruises on their faces. I realized this is the real face of child marriage.