Governor’s Spouse Trace and Takes Teenage Mothers Back to School
Recently, the wife of the Kakamega Governor, Professor Janet Kasili Barasa, has initiated a campaign aimed at providing support to teenage mothers who dropped out of school due to pregnancy.
The objective of the campaign is to enable these young mothers to continue their education, whether it be in secondary school or through technical and vocational education and training programs.
The goal is for the teenage mothers to also become advocates against teenage pregnancy in their communities.
During a recent tour of homes in different wards, Professor Barasa identified 60 teenage mothers who will serve as pioneers of the program.
She has called on other organizations and individuals to join in supporting the initiative, and a number of corporate entities including Kenya Commercial Bank, Kabras Sugar Company, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology have already enlisted their support.
While the initiative is not meant to encourage teenage pregnancy, Professor Barasa wants to give hope to these young mothers that all is not lost.
Teenage pregnancy is a serious issue, putting young girls at risk of poor health, isolation, unsafe abortions, poverty, and even death.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the global birth rate for the age group 15-19 years has declined over 30% in recent years.
In Kakamega, the county government has been working to reduce the cases of teenage pregnancy, and has seen a reduction from 16,969 in 2018 to 12,000 in 2022.
Child abuse and gender inequality play a significant role in the rise of unintended pregnancies, and the county government is working to address these issues through their manifesto of providing good health, social development, and good governance to the people of Kakamega.
Professor Barasa has urged the teenage mothers to focus on getting an education and supporting their children.
She has encouraged them to get cancer screening and avoid having multiple sexual partners, as this increases their risk of cervical cancer.
The teenage mothers who spoke at the launch of the program expressed their gratitude for the support and their desire to return to school.
Reproductive health partners in Kakamega have also commended the initiative and called for collaboration to end the threat of teenage pregnancy.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has several programs aimed at supporting children and vulnerable families in Kakamega, including the USAID For the Child program, which has enrolled 14,300 children, including 23 teenage mothers who are either pregnant or breastfeeding.
USAID’s goal is to ensure that these children have access to education, are safe from violence, and have healthy and capable parents.
In conclusion, the initiative launched by Professor Janet Kasili Barasa to support teenage mothers is commendable and will go a long way in addressing the issue of teenage pregnancy in Kakamega.
The involvement of various organizations and corporate entities in supporting this initiative is also encouraging, and shows the importance of collaboration in addressing social issues.
The goal of ensuring that these young mothers receive education and become advocates against teenage pregnancy is a step in the right direction and will contribute to the overall well-being of the people of Kakamega.
Governor’s Spouse Trace and Takes Teenage Mothers Back to School
