Machakos women Representative Hon Joyce Kamene Kasimbi has started a monthly stipend for teenage mothers and the under age pregnant girls for the sake of their upkeep and that of their young babies. Speaking in Machakos during the launch of the program, Joyce Kamene said that many of the young mothers come from needy and poor family backgrounds hence the need for the support.
This comes in this time of corona pandemic where a study showed that last year Machakos county had over 4000 pregnancies during the period in which most kids were at home and schools had been closed.
Each young and pregnant mother will be pocketing at least Kshs. 2,000 for the 3 months for a start in the program and a cheque amounting to Kshs. 5.6 million had been set aside for the same.
Kamene added that teenage pregnancy remains a threat to girls’ education since it mostly culminates in dropping out of school and marriage, with the problem much more graver in low income nations like Kenya saying that most adolescent mothers find it hard to go back to school after giving birth.
She also encouraged the girls to go back to school as inability to complete education reduces the chances of engaging in meaningful employment in their adulthood and the achievement of their socioeconomic freedom. According to the Kenyan Demographic Health survey, teenage pregnancy and motherhood has remained a major health and social concern because of its association with higher morbidity and mortality, for mother and child, she added. Hon. Joyce added that despite the Kenyan government adopting the return to school policy for teenage mothers in 1994, very little is known about its effectiveness besides the lack of effective data.
She also affirmed president Kenyatta recently directed that the many pregnant school girls and those who gave birth owing largely to Covid-19 imposed closure measures for much of 2020be readmitted back to school, unconditionally.
Her advise to the young mothers was to keep the baby as it is always advisable for a pregnant teen to keep the baby. Abortion is ungodly and against the laws of the land. Although completing school can be a challenge, it is always good for the affected girls to involve their parents early for support. She added that proper prenatal care should be adhered to as teens who are pregnant can easily be at a risk of high blood pressure, anemia, premature birth, low weight babies and experiencing postpartum depression.
Also present at the meeting was Emily Kimanzi the Children officer in Machakos who said that Parents had neglected talking and counselling young girls and had gotten busy with their work,businesses among other things.She added that in early ages parents took time to talk,engage,advise and counsel the young girls but in the current generation none is doing the same
Kimanzi added that parenting roles had been ignored and many of the parents are not being role models to their children. She also said that cases of defilement between under age boys and girls are on the rise and once the cases get to court they are usually returned to her office. Kimanzi also took issue with the courts delay in determining defilement cases with some cases going to between 4 to 5 years before judgement is given. She advised the young mothers to be willing to go back to school after giving birth.
Also present in the ceremony was Machakos MCA Hellen Ndeti who also took issue with parents for neglecting on advising young girls saying that during her times her mother and grandmother used to sit her down and talk to her on issues of pregnancy.
The event was attended by a few pregnant and lactating mothers who represented the rest following the orders of the President that crowding isn’t allowed.
The cash will be transferred via phones through mobile cash transfer.