We have soldiered on, teenage mothers say

We have soldiered on, teenage mothershe year 2020 was one of the most difficult years, especially for the education sector, where about 18 million learners were forced to stay at home since learning was suspended.

Although it was a positive measure to protect children from Covid-19, it opened up new challenges – teen pregnancies.

According to Ministry of Education statistics, a total of 652 female candidates sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination in hospitals after delivery.

KCSE exam is written to mark completion of four years of high school education and is the basis upon which learners transit to universities or colleges.

“Counties that had the highest number of candidates who sat their examination in hospitals after delivery included Bungoma (43), Meru (38), Nakuru (36), Kisii (36) and Nandi (31),” the Ministry said last month.

Ayako Fanis, 17, was one of those who sat their KCSE exams while pregnant and now understands better the struggles of a teen mum.

Weeks before school resumed early this year, the pregnant teen had to learn how to juggle between selling bananas, studying for her final exams, and preparing for motherhood.

She did not know what awaited her but pressed on.

But perhaps her lowest moment was because her dad beat her up when he discovered she was pregnant. Her mother was filled with pity.

Although she contemplated an abortion, her then boyfriend did not agree to the idea.

He promised he would always be present and help raise the child.

“When I told him about it, he said he would help me with the child. He is 21 years old, and I’m 17. I believed in his promises,” she recalls.

In her fourth month of pregnancy, which was in March, she went back to school to sit her examinations. But by the time she was done everything had changed.

“All of a sudden, my boyfriend did not want anything to do with me. He thought I was lying about the pregnancy. Reality also hit hard that completing school meant that I could no longer get some privileges such as feeding, and asking for help for basic things such as body lotion and clothes. So, my father would often ask me to go hustle for ‘my family’,” she says.

Ayako has had to train herself on beauty matters and once in a while, she braids her neighbours’ hair at a fee.

This has gone a long way in saving a little cash for her child as well as feeding herself on days when there is no food at home.

Having completed her secondary school education in March, she hopes to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“I would want to prove to people around me that being pregnant at an early age does not mean that your future is bleak,” she says.

Ayako cannot wait to meet her little one.

Her only wish is that by the time her baby arrives she would have saved substantial amount to support her baby.

She also hopes to give her baby all the love she can.

Zuhura Mohamed, 16, is yet another teenager who got pregnant during the long school break last year.

Fear, stress, anxiety and loneliness best describe her gestation period.

She says she had to deal with negative comments and judgmental people around her everyday but she ignored them all however discouraging it was.

She recalls how she found out she was pregnant last year during the long holiday necessitated by Covid-19 pandemic.

“I had nausea, headache, and fatigue. When I told my mother, she took me to hospital and it turned out I was 21 weeks pregnant! This didn’t sit well with my mother. She was furious,” she explains.

She says she had a boyfriend of two years and though they had plans of being together after completing our studies, the unexpected happened situation had happened early.

By the time schools opened in January this year, she was already five months pregnant and was afraid what her classmates would say. But they still found out.

“Everyone started looking down on me. The few friends I had in school distanced themselves from me and that is how I became lonely. All I needed was some encouragement and positivity from people close to me, but instead, they gossiped me,” she said.

She is grateful for her mother’s support. She is now a proud mother and hopes to go back to school someday soon.

“I know that I am destined for greatness and I will not think twice about going back to school because it is important for my future. I am certain I will excel and get good grades that will enable me to join a university of my choice and pursue my career,” she said.

She promised to love her baby and is glad that the father of her baby has supported her all along, most especially emotionally.

“Yes, I erred, but the baby is innocent,” she stated.