300 Kakamega teen mums return to school on scholarship

Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda addresses the press in the county on July 6, 2019. The Tumaini and Eagles Scholarship Programme that Ms Muhanda manages has helped 300 teenage mothers to return to school. PHOTO | ISAAC WALE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Clad in their school uniforms and carrying their babies, the girls presented themselves for the award at Friends School Samitsi in Kakamega North Sub-county on Friday.
  • The girls were identified and taken back to school through the Tumaini and Eagles Scholarship Programme, managed by the office of Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda.
  • Ms Muhanda, however, condemned the continued rise in the number of teen pregnancies and asked the public to guide girls.

At least 300 girls from Kakamega County, who dropped out of school after falling pregnant, will continue with their education as the government has released Sh5 million for this.

Clad in their school uniforms and carrying their babies, the girls presented themselves for the award at Friends School, Samitsi in Kakamega North Sub-county on Friday.

The National Affirmative Action Fund (Ngaaf) has also seen them receive essential supplies including sanitary towels, foodstuff and assistive essentials for those living with disabilities.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The girls were identified and taken back to school through the Tumaini and Eagles Scholarship Programme, managed by the office of Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda.

The programme covers teenage girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy and boys from humble backgrounds.

Speaking during release of the money to the beneficiaries, Ms Muhanda said pregnancy had forced many girls to defer or discontinue their education.

“Kakamega has been ranked position four in the country in cases of teenage pregnancies. This programme is meant to return a smile on the faces of girls who abandon learning when they become pregnant by giving them a second chance to get back to school after delivery,” she said.

SEX EDUCATION

Ms Muhanda, however, condemned the continued rise in the number of teen pregnancies and asked the public to guide the girls.

Gone are the days when conversations about sex were taboo, she said, noting the need for education on matters including the dangers of engaging in premature and unprotected sex.

The MP cautioned girls against conceiving in order to win the government's supporting, noting the programme does not encourage this.

“The programme, which targets day school students, also offers mentorship sessions to keep the beneficiaries in school. We make them feel it was an accident that should not recur."

The girls attend in day schools so they can continue spending time with their children.

Ms Muhanda also warned men against taking advantage of schoolgirls, saying they would be found and punished in line with the law.