June 7, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara
The Youth Chairman in Moyamba District, Brima Fullah has said that the alarming increase of teenage pregnancy in Pujehun District has largely affected the education of the adolescent girls in Pujehun District.
He made this statement at the opening ceremony of a one day awareness raising training on Gender Based Violence and Teenage Pregnancy Prevention for Youth Groups, and District Youth Councils in Pujehun District, which took place at the Pujehun District Council Hall.
Mr. Fullah said that teenage pregnancy is still high in Pujehun district and is largely affecting the empowerment of the girls in the district, adding that the intervention of the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MoYA) and UNFPA to organize the awareness rising to curb it, is a laudable venture.
He added that the youths have a critical role to play in the development of the country but teenage pregnancy will hinder them from maximizing their potentials, as most of them will lose their lives in the process of delivery.
According to Mr. Fullah, they have been engaging the men to stop abusing the girls so that they will have a safe environment to be educated, as Pujehun district is behind is terms of education due to teenage pregnancy.
He commended the Ministry of Youth Affairs for targeting the adolescent girls and women in the district to be knowledgeable on the prevention of teenage pregnancy and Sexual and Gender Based Violence.
The Director of Programs at the National Youth Service, Sylvester Bewie said that sex is not for the girls but for mature people, who are above 18 years, adding that those who involve in early sex, will hinder their chances to achieve education.
Mr. Bewie said that for a country to realize its required meaningful input from girls and women, the Ministry of Youths Affairs and its partners are ensuring that girls are well knowledgeable on the prevention of teenage pregnancy and SGBV.
Mr. Bewie re-echoed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of girls became pregnant, which affected their education and the women and girls have become victims of Gender Based Violence that is prevalent in society.
He said that their partner, UNFPA has supported them to scale up the awareness raising training in order to put a stop or reduce gender base violence and teenage pregnancy, adding that President Julius Maada Bio and his wife’s Hand-off our girls campaign is committed to the fight or putting a stop to SGBV and teenage Pregnancy.
Mr. Bewie said that the MoYA is determined to ensuring that the girls grow in an environment that will enable them to maximize their potential in contributing to nation building.
Madam Baindu Konneh Mariwa from the Education Department of the Ministry Of Health and Sanitation in Pujehun District encouraged the participants to put into practice the knowledge acquired about Corona Virus and to ensure that they take the vaccine, and to remain chaste during this unfavorable time.
A representative from the National Secretariat for Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy, Marian Sam-Mboma said that the survey conducted by UNFPA in 2019 indicated that 40% of the girls in Sierra Leone are married before 18 years and 28% of the girls within 18-19 have children.
She was adamant that they are in Pujehun to ensure that SGBV and Teenage pregnancy is reduced, adding that causes of Teenage Pregnancy includes unprotected sex , lack of education on sexual health rights, low socio-economic status and early marriage, adding that the consequences of teenage pregnancy include complications in delivery, stigma and discrimination and drop out from school.
Mrs Sam-Mboma said that the National Secretariat for Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy have developed a national strategy for the reduction of teenage pregnancy, as according to him, they are working closely with partners including the MoYA to contribute to both national and global effort to prevent teenage pregnancy and school based outreach of sexual and reproductive health information, and community engagement to provide a safe environment for children to achieve their education and to contribute to national developments.
She called on the girls to abstain from sex until they reach maturity when they would have achieved their education.
Cecilia Turay, one of the participants said that the message received during the training should go down to every girl in the community, whiles adding that other stakeholders including religious leaders and civil society compliment the effort of UNDPA and the Ministry of Youth Affairs.