London - UK

from Yemen but living UK

Nada Foundation

The official website of the Foundation

NADA AL-AHDAL

A story of a great struggle by a young girl

Nada’s story as a human rights activist started in 2013, when she was 11 years old. She refused to be a victim of child marriage and told her story to the world. Although she faced many struggles and disappointments, she has never surrendered. Nada’s determination to keep fighting for Children’s Rights won her the admiration of many, and garnered International support for her cause.

Educating a child will empower a generation, and educating a generation will create a great civilized society. Nada Alahdal

Our Dreams Thrive

Targeting education as a fundamental human right of children, the Nada Foundation has secured funding from the profits of the book of Nada to teach the English language to 10,000 girls in Internally Displaced Persons Camps. 

The special education allows girls to seek further schooling via remote learning programs offered by International Universities, as well as to seek job opportunities online after graduation.

Achievements

Despite her young age, Nada has made great achievements through her strong will, commitment, and belief in defending the rights of young girls.  Making her voice heard, Nada changed her complicated society and helped girls in Yemen. She continues to work on communicating her vision of human rights for young girls around the world, and hopes to achieve global awareness of the harms of Child Marriage.

Nada Foundation for the Protection of Children’s Rights

The Foundation was established in order to protect and advance the human rights of children in Yemen. A number of projects have been launched, most notably an awareness program (Children of War are Peacemakers), a program designed to directly protect the rights of children (Safe Havens), and an educational program (Our Dreams Thrive) with full funding from the Foundation.

Advocacy for Children

Nada has established many highly impactful humanitarian programs to promote education and protect girls from underage marriage and domestic violence. This effort was achieved through the use of media and community outreach and awareness programs. Since 2017 the Foundation has managed to nullify hundreds of illegal underage marriages, and rescue children from domestic violence. The Foundation has also disbursed more than 60 scholarships to aid girls in their development and ensure a good future through employment. The Nada with her Foundation also runs a shelter for girls who flee marriage or domestic abuse. It is hoping to spread its influence across International borders, helping girls have a childhood and thrive throughout the world.

Nada’s story is turned into a book

Michel Lafon Publishing released a book describing Nada’s story. The book was translated into Dutch and French and also appeared in electronic format helping to spread awareness of Child Marriage.

Our Dreams Thrive

Targeting education as a fundamental human right of children, the Nada Foundation has secured funding  from the profits of the book of Nada to teach the English language to 10,000 girls in Internally Displaced Persons Camps. The special education allows girls to seek further schooling via remote learning programs offered by International Universities, as well as to seek job opportunities online after graduation.

Safe Havens Project

The Nada Foundation launched the Safe Havens Project to aid girls forced into marriage before the age of majority, and those who have suffered domestic violence. The Project rescues girls who have been forced into marriage, negotiates the dissolution of the marriage contract between the families of the child bride and groom, and establishes safe living conditions for the child if an agreement not to pursue the marriage cannot be reached with the guardians. Safe Havens performs these services in keeping with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty which has been ratified by Yemen.

In 2018 Nada was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Children

Nada was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Children in 2018 and 2019 for her struggle to end the marriage of children in the Arab world and her media presence..

Nada Foundation for the Protection of Children’s Rights

The Foundation was established in order to protect and advance the human rights of children in Yemen. A number of projects have been launched, most notably an awareness program (Children of War are Peacemakers), a program designed to directly protect the rights of children (Safe Havens), and an educational program (Our Dreams Thrive) with full funding from the Foundation.

Nada’s story is turned into a book

Michel Lafon Publishing released a book describing Nada’s story. The book was translated into Dutch and French and also appeared in electronic format helping to spread awareness of Child Marriage.

Our Dreams Thrive

Targeting education as a fundamental human right of children, the Nada Foundation has secured funding from the profits of the book of Nada to teach the English language to 10,000 girls in Internally Displaced Persons Camps. The special education allows girls to seek further schooling via remote learning programs offered by International Universities, as well as to seek job opportunities online after graduation.

Safe Havens Project

The Nada Foundation launched the Safe Havens Project to aid girls forced into marriage before the age of majority, and those who have suffered domestic violence. The Project rescues girls who have been forced into marriage, negotiates the dissolution of the marriage contract between the families of the child bride and groom, and establishes safe living conditions for the child if an agreement not to pursue the marriage cannot be reached with the guardians. Safe Havens performs these services in keeping with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty which has been ratified by Yemen.

Advocacy for Children

Nada has established many highly impactful humanitarian programs to promote education and protect girls from underage marriage and domestic violence. This effort was achieved through the use of media and community outreach and awareness programs. Since 2017 the Foundation has managed to nullify hundreds of illegal underage marriages, and rescue children from domestic violence. The Foundation has also disbursed more than 60 scholarships to aid girls in their development and ensure a good future through employment. The Nada with her Foundation also runs a shelter for girls who flee marriage or domestic abuse. It is hoping to spread its influence across International borders, helping girls have a childhood and thrive throughout the world.

In 2018 Nada was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Children

Nada was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Children in 2018 and 2019 for her struggle to end the marriage of children in the Arab world and her media presence..

The Blogs

EMPOWERING GIRLS – NADA ALAHDAL

Every girl has the right to decide her own future, but not every girl knows this – that’s why empowering girls is so crucial to ending child marriage. When girls are confident in their abilities,

Read More »

Sexual harassment of children

When a perpetrator intentionally harms a minor physically, psychologically, sexually, or by acts of neglect, the crime is known as child abuse. This video focuses specifically on child sexual abuse and the warning signs that

Read More »

The Issue of Education

The file compiled on the state of education in Yemen supports the findings that the system is near a total collapse. Schools are commonly used for the recruitment of child soldiers, the report found. As

Read More »

Violations Against Nada

Held in Prison for 10 Days

August, 2013

After she appeared at the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference, to speak out against child marriage, Nada was detained. At the debate she was seen pleading for her right not to marry, and citing the self-immolation of her teenaged aunt, and her older sister’s suicide attempt when faced with early marriage. Perceiving her action as a threat, state officials pressured the Ministry of Internal Affairs to arrest 11-year-old Nada. She was taken to prison where she was held for 10 days.

Detained for 7 hours and forced to sign agreement

September, 2013

Just weeks after she was released from prison, Nada continued her mission to fight Child Marriage, this time appearing on a Lebanese television program. Upon her return to Yemen, Nada was stopped at the airport and detained by the Internal Affairs Office for 7 hours. Her passport was confiscated and she was forced to sign an agreement preventing her from further media appearances until the completion of the Comprehensive National DIalogue Conference on Child Marriage.

Placed Under House Arrest

April, 2015

With her passport withheld, Nada tried to travel for the launch of her book and to receive International awards for her work on preserving the Rights of the Child. She was prevented from traveling and placed under house arrest.

Kidnapped by Al-Qaeda

December, 2015

Attempting to leave Yemen in order to complete her education and continue her Human Rights work, Nada was kidnapped by the Al-Qaeda Organization.

She was taken to a secret location where she was subjected to blind-folded interrogation for the first three days, and released after two weeks.

International Relations

Prime Minister calls Nada an “Icon of Yemen”
Upon meeting with the Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, Nada was able to convey the suffering of Yemeni children and offer up suggestions for ways to help. She was able to impress the Prime Minister with the urgent need to legally ban child marriage, domestic violence and forms of wartime exploitation, earning her the honor of being called the Ambassador of Arab Children, and an Icon of Yemen.
Nada Foundation gets support in Kuwait
Nada gained the support of Dr. Abdullah Al-matooq, the personal advisor of his Highness the Crown Prince of Kuwait and the Minister of Awqaf. In the meeting Dr. Al-matooq expressed admiration and encouragement for Nada’s work in amplifying the voice of children around the world, promising to assist the Nada Foundation in humanitarian efforts.
Sharing her message with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh
Nada met with Dr. Dipu Moni, in Kuwait, and shared her vision for a better future for children. The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister expressed encouragement for Nada’s advocacy work.
Meeting with Humanitarian Ambassadors
Heralded as the Ambassador of the Arab Childhood, Nada gained an audience with a group of princes and government officials responsible for human rights in the Gulf States.
Previous slide
Next slide

Advocacy for Children

Advocacy for Underage Girls

Currently there are no local laws protecting underage girls from domestic violence and other human rights abuses in Yemen. The Nada Foundation advocates for girls by creating social dialogue and changing public opinion about these unjust practices. In bringing these topics into public discourse, the foundation sheds light on perpetrators of abuse, creating hope for girls, and repercussions for those who violate their rights.

When Nada heard of a 10-year-old girl, Rasha, who was brutally killed by her brother and hastily buried to conceal the crime, Nada advocated on her behalf. Nada made the case a topic of public discussion in the media resulting in the arrest and trial of Rasha’s brother. It was revealed that Rasha had stolen $30 from her brother to buy her mother a gift, and a result was beaten to death.

In another successful example of advocacy, Nada publicized the severe physical abuse and torture by fire of a girl named Shaima. The father of the child was brought to court but was soon released and Shaima returned to his custody. Nada faced a challenge that is the absence of laws protecting minors but did not surrender, instead proclaiming a hunger strike in a live broadcast on social media. With the pressure of the public’s gaze, the prosecutors placed Shaima’s father under arrest and placed Shaima with her grandmother. The Foundation proceeded by granting a comprehensive scholarship to Shaima and ensuring her education.

GREETINS