The ministries of Education and Public Health, in collaboration with the Carnegie School of Home Economics (CSHE), last Friday launched a school reintegration initiative for teenage mothers.
The initiative falls under the “We Care” programme, which is orchestrated under the Ministry of Public Health’s Community Parenting Support Groups.
The “We Care” programme initially linked teen mothers with their communities to provide them support in raising their child, then later evolved to include the Ministry of Education, which began providing support in the form of hampers. Coordinator of the Mental Health Unit, Travis Freeman, had noted that the ministry was also responsible for opening an antenatal clinic as well as a health and wellness clinic for adolescent mothers.
According to Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Huston, approximately 332 mothers received hampers due to the collaborative efforts of the ministries in 2017, while 800 benefitted from same this year. The ministries have worked jointly over the past five years to provide the care hampers at health centres countrywide and to educate teen mothers in order to prevent the occurrence of second pregnancies.
The reintegration initiative is the latest branch of the “We Care” programme.
The initiative was officially launched at the CHSE, a release from the Department of Public Information (DPI) said. The release stated that the programme aims to “reduce the vulnerability of young women to poverty and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), whilst providing them with the opportunity to complete their Secondary education.”
The launch saw remarks being delivered by Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, who noted that early this year, the education ministry launched a policy intended to prevent teenage pregnancy and enable the reintegration of pregnant teens to the education system.
“There must be various pathways and options you can exercise and what you have here is one option. It is our responsibility as administrators, regulators of education and the government to ensure that we provide the support and opportunity for young people to reach their full potential irrespective of their circumstances. While some may be interested in culinary art, others may want to go back into the classroom or take up other trades and so those options must be and are available,” Henry stated. Furthermore, Henry related that in her commitment to work towards a reduction in numbers as regards teenage pregnancies, the ministry will next year launch a school support unit which will address sexuality comprehensively.
She acknowledged, however, that partnerships, especially among sister agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations, are needed for the creation of learning environments which will result in the numbers being decreased.
The services of the We Care programme are expected to be made available to hinterland mothers next year.
