TEEN PREGNANCY HOLDING US BACK

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

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