The Butterfly Effect: Khushbu's Story

A large group from The Butterfly Effect in a hall in Bihar, many raising a strong arm to the camera, Camilla Franks among them.

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Khushbu is one of the original graduates of The Hunger Project's Adolescent Girls Program, joining in 2016. Coming from a low-income family, Khushbu faced repeated attempts to arrange her marriage while she was a child. All three times, with learnings from the program and support from her peers, she found the strength to say no.

Khushbu says that being part of the program gave her the opportunity to be there for other girls. When girls from her community faced the prospect of child marriage, she was able to reach out to India’s Child Helpline 1098, which connects children at risk with trained counsellors who can refer cases to local organisations or police for intervention. “We don’t let it happen. When it was happening to one girl, we called the helpline and her marriage was stopped.”

Khushbu went on to become a powerful peer leader and advocate for girls’ education, raising issues directly with district-level officials and campaigning. Drawing on her own experience, she has now helped prevent the child marriages of 13 adolescent girls, supporting them to choose a different path.

Today, at 20, Khushbu is the first woman from her community to complete a Bachelor of Arts. She continues to advocate for girls’ education, helps community members access government schemes and takes tuition classes while preparing for the highly competitive UPSC civil service examinations, which require significant time and dedication.

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In Her Words

“When we attended this program, I learned about the dangers of child marriage. They taught us about it, about becoming educated, and how you can change your life. I took all of that into my mind and my heart.

I will never forget the experience I had. It changed my life and gives me the hope to keep living.

By now I would already have been married. And I would have become completely physically malnourished. If I'd had children, they would have been the same.

Before the program, anyone — inside the house or outside — would say whatever they wanted to me, and I couldn't say anything back. But through the Sukanya Club, I have learned courage. Now I stand up for myself. I can say: ‘This is my right.’ That feels good.

Camilla Franks, Founder and Creative Director, looks down and smiles beside a girl in a lilac shawl from The Butterfly Effect program.

I think back to who I was before, how many problems I faced. And now, whenever there is stress at home — my mother, family or society saying, ‘Why haven't you done what was expected? Why haven't you married?’ — bravery comes from within.

The greatest source of pride is that I am the one girl from my community who has done her B.A. No one else has done it. I’m so grateful that I found a way forward. Without this program, I could never have done it.

The person I was before, I am not her anymore. I feel so happy. I have moved forward in my life.

I hope people can see that even coming from a poor home, I have moved forward through hard work. Every girl should have the opportunity to move forward like me, and there should be no child marriage.”

“Meeting the people from CAMILLA here in Bihar has been such an incredible moment in my life. It has lifted me up even further. I hope we can achieve more in the future. This day could not be more special to me.”

“I have become an empowered girl. Now I am not afraid of anything.

We are living with freedom. Because I have understood that everybody has fundamental rights, and we are citizens of this country. Now there is no fear. Justice. Anywhere I go, [I can speak] — no one can refuse me.”

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