Christine, 20, a young mother and member of a youth friendly corner is advocating for girls to avoid relations that end in unwanted pregnancies.
Christine’s education stopped in form 6 when her parents got sick and wouldn’t support her with tuition fees. She conceived at the age of 19. Christine says she doesn’t want to engage in any more relationships with men. “I would like to learn hair dressing and take care of my child,” says Christine.
Christine is one of the teenage mothers accessing sexual and reproductive health services from a health centre in Kamuli District. She says that she was supported by the health workers to access information and services through the youth friendly services and antenatal care visits. “This helped me to deliver a healthy baby.” Christine routinely takes her child for immunisation, counselling and family planning sessions.
Christine and other adolescents utilise youth friendly services
Christine says that Tuesdays are dedicated to young people, during which special attention is paid to different health issues “On this day you find a large population of young people about 20 girls and 5 boys, and the youth friendly corner is full,“ says Christine. She adds that on this day health education talks like self-hygiene, safe pregnancy and family planning are conducted. “Since the youth friendly services started, a big number of young mothers and adolescents attend health education sessions, antenatal and post-natal services.”
“Since the youth friendly services started, a big number of young mothers and adolescents attend health education sessions.”
Christine
Rose, 18, and mother of 1 says she started antenatal visits at 5 months. “We would meet as young mothers and nurses would attend to us and give us health talks,” says Rose.
Christine appeals to young people during games
Christine says that as part of youth friendly corner activities, young people always engage in games such as basketball, scrabble, and netball among others. She adds that young people use the same space to share amongst themselves personal experiences and to seek peer support. Health talks and peer sessions help to reduce stigma, promote positive parenting and reduce home deliveries. “I always share my experience and advise adolescent girls to avoid relationships that end in unwanted pregnancies,” says Christine.
Collaborations for quality health delivery
Mable who is In charge of the health centre says Plan International has supported on procuring sexual and reproductive health drugs, essential equipment like hospital beds and trained health workers on critical health modules such as adolescent /youth friendly service provision, sexual and gender-based violence clinical management and others.
“With the support of partners, the hospital conducts 3 outreaches every quarter into communities. This has helped to reach out to more young people with antenatal care, immunisation services and health education, especially those who fear to come to the health centre. Outreaches have helped to reduce repeated teenage pregnancies and increased delivery from health centres by young people,” explains Mable.
About the project
Plan International Uganda is implementing a 30 month project, A Bold Step to Prevent Unintended Teenage Pregnancy in Kamuli and Buyende districts with the goal of enabling local and grassroots Civil Society Organisations to contribute to improved adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Uganda. The project is being implemented in partnership with Communicating For Development Foundation Uganda with funding from the European Union.
Cissy Kaamu, Technical Advisor for Health at Plan International Uganda says through the contribution of this project, there is beginning to be a steady reduction of unintended teenage pregnancies in Butansi, Kagumba and Bugulumbya sub counties. “This is evidenced by the reducing numbers of first antenatal visits for mothers of 19 years and below in these areas. We are certain that project interventions are bound to drive change towards the wellbeing of adolescent girls,” says Cissy.
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