By Foluke Ademokun | Project Leader
1.0 Introduction/Background Study
Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation commenced the Teenage Mothers Empowerment Project in September 2022, as a response to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy at Umuezeagwu, in Abia State, Nigeria. As a much-neglected issue, teenage pregnancy poses a major threat to the lives of young girls in communities and has robbed them of socioeconomic opportunities, such as access to education and healthcare.
Goal
The over-all goal of this project is to strengthen holistic care for At-Risks Teenage Girl (ages 13 to 19) in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State, Nigeria.
In view of the above, the project expectations include:
- Change collective Sexual and Reproductive Health response, in affected communities within the Local Government Area (LGA)
- Influence attitude to eliminate stigmatization and ostracisation of teenage mothers in the LGA
- Strengthen the voice of teenage girls to combat the culture of silence about sexual violence / abuse
- Strengthened SHRH services and accountability systems in the LGA
- Improved skill and knowledge for the empowerment and reintegration of at-risks girls (ages 13 to 19) in the communities
To achieve these objectives, the AAAF is utilizating a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to engage community leaders, teenage mothers, parents, and key stakeholders in government circles using surveys and participatory techniques such as focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and village meetings. This is to generate baseline information and conduct assessment to determine the socioeconomic needs of the teenage mothers.
Programme Duration
The project is ongoing and will last for 36 months; September 2022 to August 2025 .
Stakeholders
The stakeholders in this project include; the teenage girls, AAAF, parents, and the community, as well as government departments and ministries of justice, health, budget, education, information, youth and women affairs at local and state levels.
2.0 PROGRESS REPORT:
The Foundation commenced series of consultations in September 2022 engaging with parents, 10 At-risks Teenage Girls to generate baseline information on rising teenage pregnancy within the communities. See figure 1 below for some affected girls. In addition to deploying questionnaire to generate demographics and socioeconomic information, a Needs Assessment was conducted subsequently to determine the schooling and livelihoods priorities of the girls. Also follow-up was conducted within the last quarter of 2022 to document delivery by four pregnant teenagers.
The next phase of the project, starting first quarter of 2023 is to initiate the process of child support for the just delivered teenage mothers, formalize the screening process for the reintegration of at least four (4) teenage mothers into school system or entrepreneurial / vocational skills training. Similarly, consultation with health and education service providers within the Local Government will commence before end January 2023. Throughout 2023, engagement will be iterative as additional 40 girls will be screened for empowerment.
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