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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Sierra Leone News: Teenage pregnancy on the increase in Kailahun – KWiGN president


As a result of the Ebola scourge, parents including the President of the Kailahun Women in Governance Network (KWiGN), Madam Lucy Foray Gondor, have expressed concern over the increased number of teenage pregnancy among pupils in Kailahun and beyond.
Kailahun Women in Governance Network (KWiGN) is a Community-based Organisation (CBS) that operates in Kailahun District on governance and other related issues, targeting poor and marginalised women in society, with the aim of ensuring that women play vital roles in leadership and governance matter.
According to the President of KWiGN, Madam Lucy Foray Gondor, with the out-break of the deadly Ebola disease in their District in May this year, women are vulnerable and at a high risk of contracting the disease, while looking after the sick at home and also engaged in domestic activities, which is similar to the suffering they went through during the 11 years civil war, explaining that their numbers have reduced drastically, as many of them have lost their lives including some children.
She disclosed that the lives of their children, especially the girls are at stake, simply because education is presently going down the drain, as most of their girl-child have been impregnated, which has led to the high number of teenage pregnancy in the District and beyond- a situation she described as a major challenge in the post-Ebola period, adding that the children are not doing anything at the moment which exposed them to all funny acts.
The Women leader maintained that education at the part of the country is very poor, especially among the women, as the poorly- educated women in the district are the ones dying with the out-break including female nurses, women leaders who take the Ebola campaign to the interior and women advocators.
She said this is worrisome at the moment in the district, expressing appreciation on the innovation of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, together with their partners in introducing the radio educational system that will help build the capacity of their children, who are presently losing a lot in their educational carrier.
Veronica Mansaray, a mother of three, with one who was preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), disclosed that her child was assisting her in doing some petty trading due to the indefinite closure of schools but is now three months pregnant, a situation that have caused her  to lose focus at the moment, adding that she will make sure her child spends more time listening to the radio education programme, so that she can be on track with her classmate, but expressed doubt, if her child will be in a position to complete the coming BECE exams after the out-break will have been settled, due to her present condition.
By Alhaji M. Kamara
Wednesday October 08, 2014