Girls who dropped out of school as a result of early teenage pregnancy and early marriage in New Marforki Town in the Port Loko District, say they now realise that it is better to be educated than to be a trader.
They made this confession to Awoko in an exclusive interview, to mark the First International Day of the Girl-child which was themed: Child Marriage, its impact on girls and call for an end to the practice.
The Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey that was recently released by UNICEF and Statistics Sierra Leone, 23% of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years are currently in a marital union and 16% of these were actually married before they reached the age of 15. Also, 50% of women between the ages of 20 and 49 years got married before the age of 18.
A 17 year-old young girl (name withheld) said that she was in JSS 1 when she was impregnated by a school boy. This pregnancy, she said, stopped her from going to school, as she had to stay home to care for her son.
The young girl stated that she was not happy about what happened to her because it was not planned and that she wanted to go to school to become a medical doctor. Her ambition, she said, was dented with early teenage pregnancy.
The girl further stated that after one year, she returned back to school with the help of Mothers Club, but found it difficult to study and at the same time take care of her son.
Another 16 year old girl (name withheld) said that she was in JSS 1 when she was impregnated by a school boy. She explained that she was not happy with this because her parents send her to school.
The girl reiterated that after she gave birth, life became hard for her because she had to suckle her daughter and at the same time go to school.
She explained that during lunch time at school, she had to sneak home to breast feed her eight-month old daughter. This, she said, at times discouraged her to go to school.
A 12 year old girl (name withheld) who dropped out of school in class six because of early teenage pregnancy, explained in tears that she was in her second term in class six, when she was impregnated by a school boy.
She explained that she now stays with the boy’s mother because her family asked her out of their house.
The girl stated that, she now stays at home, caring for her daughter and helping the boy’s mother with her domestic work, while her peers are going to school.
Mother of the 12 year-old girl said that she sent her daughter out of the house because she had sent her to school to be educated and not to give her a grand-daughter at a tender age.
The mother said that presently, she has no money to send her to school again, because she is now a widow who has six children to care for.
Brima Thaimeu Koroma, Deputy Director of Education in Port Loko, said that there is still a wide gap in terms of education between boys and girls. He said they now have mentoring groups like Mothers Club who sensitize girls on the need for them to be in school than to be a mothers.
Mohamed Kamara, Education Officer for Development Initiative Program (DIP) said that 80% of girls who are attending the only secondary school in New Marforki are mothers.
By Abibatu Kamara
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