Sauti ya Wanawake Pwani in collaboration with Action Aid through a program dubbed The Education for Life; Leave No Girl Behind are changing and rehabilitating the lives of teenage mothers in Kilifi County who have been deprived their right to education due to early pregnancies and marriages.
Through the program, the teen mothers undergoes rigorous life skills, technical skills, mentorship and literacy training to better their future. In this, the young mothers acquires skills that are income generating which enables them to fend for their young children.
From this, the girls now share their experiences differently, not as victims, but as champions as their life is finally restored. They are enthusiastic about their future and those of their children.
Speaking yesterday during the graduation of some girls from the program, Lucky Mwaka of Sauti ya Wanawake Pwani said that the program accommodate girls between 10-19 years who have been victims of teen pregnancies.
The program seek to rehabilitate young mother and redirect them into education in which they can choose to either to go back to school or join polytechnic where they learn technical skills.
Additionally, the program seek to help the girls break the barriers that hinder them from accessing education. Currently, the nine month program has 1,241 girls from Kilifi County and targets to reach out to at least 5, 000 girls in the next one year.
Sauti ya Wanawake Pwani identify the needy and vulnerable girls in the community through mapping through community led participatory change plans.
In 2020, Kilifi County made headlines after it was reported that 17,000 girls got pregnant with many dropping out of school to tender their young children. As a consequence, many were also married off to avoid family shame and cost of raising an additional child.