Kenya: Kilifi's First High School for Teen Mothers Raises Hopes of Dropouts ¶
Teenage mothers in Kilifi County are set to benefit from a new high school designed to provide a supportive learning environment for girls who have dropped out of school due to pregnancy.
The school, which is being constructed in Ganze constituency, is a response to the high numbers of early pregnancies and marriages among schoolgirls in the area.
According to Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire, the school will offer a range of services to support the girls, including frequent counselling sessions and a breastfeeding centre for nursing mothers.
"Girls who decide to go back to school after giving birth are always stigmatised in the mainstream secondary schools and that's why we want to build a secondary school where admissions will only be given to those who got pregnant while in school and are willing to continue with their education," Mwambire said.
The school is being funded by the Ganze National Government Constituency Development Fund and is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
Education stakeholders in the area have welcomed the initiative, saying it will provide a second chance for girls who have been marginalized due to pregnancy.
"The community has always victimised young girls who become pregnant. This has made them feel like outcasts in the community and hopeless in life as if they do not have a future," Mwambire said.
However, some stakeholders have expressed concerns that cultural, religious, and political factors may undermine the programme.
"People might not take it positively, as much as it is a noble idea. It is, however, important that different stakeholders discuss and find appropriate ways to curb teen pregnancy," said Kwale County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri.
