There is an estimated 304,000 people living in modern slavery in Uganda (GSI 2018). Under the Children Act (2016), the minimum legal age of marriage in Uganda is 18 years old with no exceptions. However, there are challenges with enforcing the ban as child marriage is not defined within the penal code, and perpetrators often do not face justice unless there are signs of serious violent assault. Growing up in rural Uganda, Loyia went to school for just three years as her parents could not afford her education and at 15-years-old she was forced to marry.

The Global Slavery Index estimates that there are approximately 36,000 people living in modern slavery in Sierra Leone.Sierra Leone has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world. An estimated one-third of all pregnancies in Sierra Leone are teenage pregnancies.  Favour was 13 years old when she was sent to live with her aunt. Removed from school, Favour was forced to do domestic chores for her aunt’s family and sell bags of water by the road.