Teenage Pregnancy: Where are we missing the point?

“it’s not what you do to the children but what you teach them to do for themselves that will make them successful.”

Article by Instructor Jack Mwai – Alliance Girls 

Where are we missing the point?

Since Covid-19 got in our country and schools closed, we have seen increased cases of underage girls getting pregnant every day. This leaves an unanswered question, where are we missing the point?

Over the past years, we have seen those responsible for impregnating underage girls being arrested and jailed which is recommendable. But despite that, the curve of teenage pregnancy is still increasing exponentially which means enough is yet to be done and more effort is needed to deal with the big elephant in the room.

In most cases we tend to only concentrate with the people impregnating these girls but what do we do to the victims themselves, the girls? Have noted some of these girls when explaining what happened for them to be pregnant, this is what they say, “Mzazi wangu alikataa kunipea pesa kwa hivyo mi nikaenda kwa huyo kijana mwenye aliniahidi kunipea pesa so nikakubali which simply means they already know that they have something that they can use to get some basic needs, so they go looking for that money from their boyfriends or men who eventually leave them pregnant.

My question is, who told these girls that when you need help you go to a man? Because if they seek for this help from ladies or women in the community these cases will reduce.

We won’t blame them since they’re innocent and of little knowledge about life but why can’t these girls be advised that when they lack essential items to go to a female friend or a woman in the neighborhood and this way, we will stop men who take advantage of these innocent girls. Teach and show them the right person to run to in time of need.

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