Times Of Swaziland: TEEN PREGNANCY HOLDING US BACK

TEEN PREGNANCY HOLDING US BACK
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The Editor on 27/11/2019 01:33:00


Sir,
Thank you for allowing me space to voice out my concerns on the still increasing
rate of teenage pregnancy. We all know that in Eswatini a girl child is the most
well-catered for person. We have laws that ensure the protection and good
welfare of a Swati girl child, and women.
We have free primary education to ensure that every child is armed with the best
weapon, education. So what is it with this high teenage pregnancy rate? What is
the root cause? How is it that a girl as young as 14 years can drop out of
school because of pregnancy? The problem with this teen pregnancy thing is that
it gives rise to more problems.
I was once hurt by an incident where a woman died after discovering that her
16-year-old daughter was pregnant. You see, the family was struggling to make
ends meet due to lack of funds. What I see here is that as young girls we are
failing to go the same way as government; we are going the opposite direction in
as far as our well-being is concerned. Asimubambisi hulumende.
There’s the free primary education which government pays for and girls drop
out due to pregnancy. There are free condoms everywhere but anytime one needs
them girls ignore them. All this in an effort to alleviate teenage pregnancies.
Then my question is, kantsi what do we want as young Eswatini girls?
Poverty
Back in my schools days we used to have debates on the causes of teenage
pregnancy and points like poverty, rape, unemployment and lack of knowledge were
brought to the table. Yes I agreed with all of them but that was partly.
Poverty, for instance, can be curbed in many ways. In societies we have people
like pastors, MPs, teachers and community leaders.
Girls need to approach them and seek help before their bright future becomes
bleak. There is no need for one to resolve to sexual practices for the sake of
food when there are safer means of getting it. That is why even the sex industry
remains illegal in Eswatini. This teenage pregnancy thing is holding us back as
a nation, yet we want to fulfill vision 2022 by attaining First World status.
How are we going to promote and maintain the ‘vote for a woman’ campaign;
how are we going to achieve that having more emale parliamentarians when the
present generation is not able to stop teenage pregnancy.
I wonder if there is something that can further be done regarding this teenage
issue. Mine ngitsi let it dawn on every girls’ mind; let us think about our
future ahead and that of the country. Let us not sell ourselves cheap.
We are not worth that take-away meal, not that E50 pocket money and not that
ride in that fancy car. In as much as our government and parents ensure good
protection and welfare for us, asibabambiseni phela.
Some of our parents are financially unstable; they work hard to provide for our
basic needs. Some have even never had the opportunity to go to school but they
are prepared to do anything just to see us educated, and that’s because they
love us. Do we love them back? If so let’s act as such; by sticking to their
advice to lessen the chances of falling pregnant at a young age.
Welile Pertunia