In summary
- Atieno whose child is now 13 months old says that the father of her child has never made any efforts of stepping up as a father
- The biggest challenge they are experiencing in Mathare right now is the rising number of men who denying the pregnancies
Young mothers in Nairobi’s Mathare slums on Friday got to open up on the ordeals that catapulted them into motherhood at teenage.
One of the girls who sought anonymity painfully revealed how her step father continuously defiled her and asked her to keep silent.
“He was my step-father, he would sneak up to me and sleep with me whenever my mother was away. I eventually became pregnant at the tender age of 16,” she narrated during an open conversations forum held in Mathare, Mabatini Ward by Rachael Mwikali, who is an influencer, Gender Equality, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Activists and a human Rights Defenders working with Community based organisation called Coalition For Grassroots Human Rights Defenders in partnership with Wrthy-Better 4 Kenya.
Jean Atieno (not her real name) on the other hand narrated how poverty drove her into the hands of a man who got her pregnant at the tender age of 17.
“I will not lie, the guy had money. Lots of it. So when I got into trouble with my parents after I was suspended from school, I decided to move in with him,” narrated Atieno.
Boyfriend refused to step up
Atieno whose child is now 13 months old says that the father of her child has never made any efforts of stepping up as a father.
“I gave birth via a caeserian section after having complications. My mother is the one who has been taking care of me despite the hustles.
Mathare has been on the spot over the rising numbers of teenage pregnancies and HIV Aids infections among young girls and boys.
Rachael Mwikali the convener of CGHRD says that it is because of these issues that her and her organization partnered with Wrthy -Better 4 Kenya to hold conversations on how the girls can protect themselves , empower themselves and how comprehensive knowledge on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights , work collectively to advance Gender Equality and Economic Empowerment for the young Mothers.
“We called them here today to have them open up about their experiences. It is from the lived painful experiences they had that we in turn gave them lessons from accessing family planning methods to preventing getting pregnant again, using protection and safe abortion to avert deaths that occur in backstreet clinics,” said Mwikali.
According to Mwikali, many girls in the slums lack access to access to information on what they can do when they are defiled or even raped.
“This is what is ailing most of these teen mums in Mathare slums. Most of them do not even know what to do when they are raped and defiled. In the conversations we had today, we told them to not clean themselves when raped and report to the police stations. Alternatively they can reach out to Community Health Volunteers whom are CGHRD members and work with or come to community organisations like this where they can be guided on what to do,” she said.
A baseline survey recently conducted by UNICEF in 16 counties revealed that pregnancy is one of the key reasons of girls dropping out. Other reasons include household chores, early marriage, peer pressure and cultural norms that keep girls at home.
Men denying pregnancies
Angela Nthambi a Community Health Volunteer and CGHRD member who attended the meeting stated that the biggest challenge they are experiencing in Mathare right now is the rising number of men who denying the pregnancies.
She has encouraged the young girls to stop shying away and always seek help when defiled or raped.
The conversations saw the young mothers also get empowered on how they can take care of their babies and also give them a bright future.
“I feel empowered today. Because right now I know that being a young mother is not the end of the world. I can still rise up and go back to school like I have always wanted. This will help me get a bright future,” said Atieno.
