The picture is changing in families at risk of child marriage in Char Shaulmari village of Roumari upazila of Kurigram. The loom is spinning, child marriage is stopping. The tendency of girls being forced to marry off due to financial crisis is decreasing due to the women here’s own income-oriented initiatives. The employment of women based on the loom industry has come into discussion across the area by highlighting the stories of a few such families. Housewife Jui Akhter of the village said that she is no longer thinking about the marriage of her daughter who is studying in class 11. Although she was forced to marry due to the pressure of poverty earlier, her position has changed now. Jui is weaving saris by setting up her own loom machine at home. The education of her two daughters is going on with that income. She said, “I will teach the girls as long as they want to study. Now I am not thinking about marriage anymore.” China Begum of the same village is also like them. She lives in a small house in Pathkhari with her three daughters. Her husband is a laborer at a rice mill. Although the family was struggling to pay for the expenses, she did not marry off her daughters as children. China started weaving saris after receiving financial assistance from RDRS for loom training and purchasing a machine. She makes one saris every two days with her eldest daughter by her side. She earns 650 taka per saree. She is able to meet the education expenses of her daughters by selling 18-20 sarees a month. China said, “My husband’s income does not support the family. So I started weaving with training. Now I can educate my daughters with my own income.” Employment opportunities have been created for about 50 such families in Char Shaulmari Union through RDRS Bangladesh’s ‘Child Not Bride’ (CNB) project. In addition to providing loom training to female members, grants have been given to purchase machines. The women are earning money by making saris at home. According to CNB project sources, 60 children have been victims of child marriage in Char Shaulmari village in the last one year. All of them are from poor families. Currently, at least 180 families are still at risk. However, as 50 women trained with the help of the project were able to increase their income, positive changes are being seen in maintaining the education of girls and preventing child marriage. Alik Rangsa, Kurigram District Coordinator of the CNB project, said, “With the help of NRK-Telinth and Plan International Bangladesh, we are working to increase the income of families at risk of child marriage. When family income increases, the tendency to consider girls as a burden decreases. This also reduces child marriage.” The initiative of the women of Char Shaulmari shows that when family income increases, girls regain their right to education – and social risks like child marriage decrease.