Almost Married Off at 12. Now She’s Changing Thousands of Lives. | Aria Mustary, Mai Soli Foundation

Why It Matters

The initiative offers a scalable, high‑impact solution to eradicate child marriage, unlocking economic potential for millions of girls and delivering measurable social returns for donors and policymakers.

Key Takeaways

• Aria survived a child marriage attempt at age twelve.
• Her mother, a former child bride, inspired her mission.
• Mai Soli Foundation teaches financial literacy, leadership, confidence to girls.
• Program has prevented over 500 child marriages to date.
• Harvard Innovation Lab provided resources to scale impact globally.

Summary

Aria Mustary recounts narrowly escaping a child marriage at twelve, a fate her mother endured at sixteen. The trauma sparked her determination to end the practice, leading her to launch the Mai Soli Foundation.

The foundation delivers a curriculum that blends financial literacy, leadership training, and confidence‑building for girls in Bangladesh. Since its inception, the program reports preventing more than 500 child marriages, equipping participants with marketable skills before they become vulnerable.

Mustary emphasizes the ripple effect: “If we even just save one girl, her entire lineage has now been saved.” She credits Harvard’s Innovation Lab for mentorship, pitch refinement, and funding pathways that accelerated the organization’s reach.

Scaling the model could disrupt generations of forced unions, creating new economic opportunities and reducing poverty. For investors and policymakers, the initiative demonstrates a replicable, impact‑driven approach to gender equity and social entrepreneurship.

Original Description

At 12, Aria Mustary was nearly forced into marriage.

Now she’s helping thousands of girls rewrite their futures.

Aria Mustary (Harvard Graduate School of Education ’24), Co-Founder and President of the Mai Soli Foundation, turned her lived experience into a mission.

Mai Soli equips girls with financial literacy, leadership skills, and confidence—already helping prevent over 500 child marriages and scaling that impact globally.

A finalist in the 2024 Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge, Aria is building a future where every girl has agency.

“If we save one girl, her entire lineage is changed.”

Film by Kieran Kesner