Impoverished girls in India who are at high risk of child marriage are gaining independence and generating income with the help of a Seattle-based nonprofit.

Landesa Rural Development Institute teaches girls in West Bengal about their land rights through the Security for Girls Through Land Project. The initiative, launched in partnership with the state government’s Department of Women and Child Development in 2010, also teaches girls how to use land to create their own assets by growing produce on micro-plots that the group secures for them. The produce the girls grow can then either be eaten by their own families or sold for money.

Furthermore, the girls learn practical, land-based livelihood skills and become aware of government resources that can help them become more independent and improve their long-term economic and social statuses.