An alarm has been raised over the increased number of teenage mothers in various villages of Gatundu South, Kiambu County.
In what has left many in shock, anger and disbelief, the girls aged between 13 and 19 years are impregnated before they are dumped by unsuspicious men who often guarantee them good life only to forsake the easy-going adolescents after realizing they are pregnant.
In their narrations, most of the teenage mothers, all of whom come from poor backgrounds, regret having entered a relationship with the unsuspecting men who initially hoodwink them with enticements.
Brenda Njoki, (not her real name) who got pregnant while in form two recounts how the man she believed would walk the journey with her deserted her and went for another girl.
Njoki says the life of a teenage mother is ever characterized with numerous challenges among them ridicule, stigmatization, discrimination and neglect from parents, fellow adolescents and the community.
The visionary young mother says all her dreams of eradicating poverty in her pitiable family were cut short by the man who had promised him heaven.
“I thought I would be the saviour in our family as most of my other siblings dropped out of school before completion of primary school. It’s unfortunate that I got pregnant at a young age, a situation that forced me out of school,” said Njoki.
The young mother advised young girls to choose the right peer groups and avoid being lured into sexual intercourses by men to enable them continue with their education besides pursuing their other life goals.
“To the men who impregnate young girls like me, shame on you! You wrong us when you lie that you would walk with us and even marry us only to distance yourselves from having impregnated us,” added Njoki.
Veronica Njeri, another troubled teenage mother, explained that life has been overly difficult for her.
Njeri who conceived while in form three acknowledged that delivering prematurely is not the end of life but stressed that societal challenges often plunge many into depression.
“To my fellow teenage mothers, don’t lose hope,” she advised.
Her sentiments were echoed by Rahab Mungai who revealed that most girls end up sleeping with men due to extreme poverty in their families.
The men, she said, often give them a few coins in exchange, money that she explained is used to cater for a few family needs.
“To the young girls finishing school right now, avoid men and focus on continuing with your education. Some of us got ourselves to this mess after as we tried to make a few coins to help those behind us. Now that we regret, please work towards not joining the club,” stated Mungai.
Following the increased number of teenage mothers, Stephen Kariuki, a local, has come up with a community-based organization that seeks to empower them social-economically.
Kariuki said the dream was born to give hope to the increased number of teenage mothers who grapple with plentiful challenges.
So far, at least forty teenage mothers have been registered with his CBO.
“Most of these children were impregnated by their relatives and it becomes even more difficult to bring them together as their family members do not want to be ashamed,” added Kariuki.
According to Grace Waithera, a coach who has been with the teenage mothers, cases of defilement, child marriage, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence in the area are on the rise and the society needs to take its rightful position of helping children uphold moral values.
Waithera called on women leaders to rise up and spearhead the fight against teenage pregnancy, noting the need to have comprehensive sex education in schools to emphasize, among other things, the benefits of abstinence until learners are through with their studies.
Health experts point that teenage mothers risk developing complications and or dying during childbirth besides exposing their children to health risks.
The government has committed to ending teenage pregnancy by 2030
