A centre reviving hope in pregnant teens rejected by relatives
Pregnancy is a setback to a majority of girls and is usually accompanied by emotional distress that comes with rejection by one’s family, relatives and even friends.
While men responsible for the pregnancies on many occasions get away with it, the girls bear the twin burdens of dropping out of school and taking care of the children.
In some situations, the girls are married off, with parents and guardians making an economic value from the situation in the form of dowry.
Interaction with primary and secondary school teen mothers in Trans Nzoia made Ms Pauline Mwangi get a clear picture of their pain.
Ms Mwangi, a mother of four, moved to Kitale in 2007 to work with an organisation that visited schools to give motivational talks to students.
“That is when I realised the problems teenage mothers face,” Ms Mwangi told the Nation.
Rejected by families
A Dutch couple she worked with set up a centre to house pregnant girls rejected by their families.
A year after opening the centre, the couple went back to Europe, leaving it to Ms Mwangi and her husband Eliphantus.
The centre, known as Esther Home, supports the girls in their motherhood journey.
It got its name from Esther in the Bible who was an orphan but got the chance to be at the palace where she saved her community from destruction.
“We want to give the girls an opportunity to change their families and community,” Ms Mwangi said.
Esther Home, which is in Naisambu, on the outskirts of Kitale sits on a four-acre piece and has a capacity for 25 girls and 25 babies.
It has 12 girls and their children at the moment.
Farm proceeds
Esther Home’s farm proceeds go to operational costs, including pay for support staff and social workers.
Well-wishers also come to the aid of the centre.
“We have five greenhouses given to us by well-wishers. The pig farm also boosts our income. I also have a bakery in town,” she said.
Ms Mwangi added that the centre gets referrals from the Department of Children Services under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
“We begin by seeking consent from the girls’ parents and guardians. We then work on the legal processes before a girl is admitted,” she said.
Counselling
Once a girl arrives at Esther Home, she is counselled as she bonds with the others.
The older girls are trained on welcoming newcomers “to make them feel at home”.
“The new girls tell their stories in bits. We give them time. Some can take a year to open up,” Ms Mwangi said.
They are also taken to for clinic sessions during the pregnancy.
Ms Mwangi and her team keep in touch with the girls’ parents, explaining to them that getting pregnant is not the end of life.
“How the parents react matters to the girls’ self-esteem,” she said.
Parents are allowed to visit their girls in April and August. They interact with church leaders, counsellors and other parents.
The girls are allowed to visit their homes in December “in order to be part of the community”.
“This is important as far as reconciliation with their parents or guardians is concerned,” Ms Mwangi said.
“We don’t want to lock them up here for four years. It becomes very difficult to be integrated into the society. Going home helps because the community starts accepting the girls back,” she added.
Partnership
Ms Mwangi said the centre has partnered with Naisambu Secondary and primary schools to help the girls complete their education.
“The first year at school is more of orientation. They are not enrolled in school immediately. They have to be counselled and tutored on school work. They are then allowed back in school fully when their babies are a little older,” she said.
Ms Mwangi has rescued more than 100 girls and helped half of them get justice.
Sixteen-year-old Joy (not her real name) said she was raped by her Std 7 classmate during a school trip.
She added that the boy was armed with a knife and threatened to harm her.
“My parents refused to believe that I was raped. The boy disappeared and his parents accused me of framing him,” Joy said.
The girl added that she attempted suicide three times.
“I was lucky to end up at Esther Home where I found others in my predicament,” she said.
“My baby is a month old. I hope to resume schooling next year.”
The girls are also taught many skills while at Esther Home. These include baking, tailoring, computer and beadwork.
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