Seventeen-year-old Lakshmi Devi of Malavay village, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, says, “After being made aware of the campaign issues, I have begun speaking in public about domestic violence, HIV and child marriage. I have got children involved in plays on these issues. I have also helped halt a child getting married. My friend was just 15 years old and her father was keen to marry her to an older man who had been married earlier. My friend learned that he had ill treated his first wife. As my friend did not have a mother, she approached me for help. I confronted her father. He argued that he was getting her married as the bridegroom did not want any dowry. While I was listening to him, the would-be bridegroom walked in and created an unruly scene. He abused me. My friend was petrified. I took her home with me and refused to be intimidated by her father or her fiancé. The marriage was cancelled as a result. Now my friend is older and plans to wed the man of her choice after a while.”