Home | News | 30 TEENS PREGNANT DURING LOCKDOWN AT NKWENE

30 TEENS PREGNANT DURING LOCKDOWN AT NKWENE

01/09/2020 00:33:00 BY PHIWASE PHUNGWAYO

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NKWENE – Every war has its casualties and this holds true for Nkwene area, where 30 teenagers have allegedly fallen pregnant during the partial lockdown.

This was revealed by the Sexual Reproductive Health Unit (SRHU) during a life skills education training session for out-of-school youth, facilitated by the Eswatini National Youth Council.

It has been gathered that the 30 include school-going girls, who have not returned to class after having accessed health services in the constituency clinic where they tested and were discovered to be pregnant. Others, it has been gathered, have not yet been discovered whether they will return to class or not as they are in classes that have not yet reopened and as such, their parents have not yet reported to the school authorities.

While not all classes have reopened, this publication can confirm that some of the girls were in high school and their parents have reported to authorities about what befell their children.

Confirmed

The other pregnant girls, even though they are also said to be teenagers, it could not be confirmed if they were enrolled in any of the schools in the area.

Nkwene, a constituency located in the Shiselweni Region, is a rural and sparsely populated area sandwiched by Mehlwabovu Mountain and according to Eswatini Government website, its population as of the 2007 census, was 7 167.

The community is classified as rural and has few shops which are sparsely situated along the road leading to Hlatikhulu, which is the nearest town. It has minimal facilities to keep the youth busy and active, except for a few sports grounds.

Other than that, there are no other extramural activities that the youth of the area could engage in to pass time. The dusty roads linking chiefdoms in the area weave through a maze of stick-and-mud houses with a few limited mansions.

In the quest to understand the seriousness of the situation, this publication engaged one of the teenagers who fell pregnant and had to abandon school.

The pupil, *Nosipho (18), said one of the challenges faced by the youth, especially girls, was lack of attention at home.

The learner, who was doing Form V in one of the schools, said her parents spent most of their time at work which left her vulnerable and exposed to men who ‘made her feel special’. “I first had my relationship late last year while in Form IV,” she said.

Nosipho highlighted that although she knew about sex education, her boyfriend deluded her with the myth that she could not fall pregnant while losing her virginity. This, she said, was when he impregnated her. Furthermore, due to the impulsive break from the school calendar, she had ample time doing nothing other than being with her boyfriend while her parents were at work.

Impregnated

With a quivering lip and avoiding eye-contact, Nosipho shyly said the man who impregnated her was an unemployed farmer.

She declared that for quite a while, the relationship was sexless until five months ago.

“But as time went on, it became sexual and neither of us talked about using protection,” she said.

Despite that the World Health Organisation (WHO) claims that the HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women in the country is currently estimated to be at 43 per cent, Nosipho disclosed being ignorant of her boyfriend’s HIV status.

Following that pregnant women have to test for HIV, the teenager claimed to have tested negative.

She said the tests were done after the discovery that she was pregnant. When queried if she was aware of sex education, the soft-spoken girl said the only knowledge she had was from lessons taught at school. She claimed that engaging with her parents about sex was taboo and it would have been an uncomfortable subject for her.

“My parents never talk to me about sex, the subject is forbidden. Even when watching a kissing scene on television, I still feel uncomfortable around them,” she said. Nosipho said it was a scary experience when she learnt of her pregnancy. She highlighted that her biggest fear and regret was the possibility of not writing her final examination and not getting the chance to enrol at tertiary. The introvert said she had always wished to study Environmental Science as she had a burning passion for the environment.

Meanwhile, she is caught up in a dilemma on whether she would sit for the final examination or not.

Another pregnant teenager from the same area, *Nokwanda, a Form III pupil, said she came from a poverty-stricken background.

The secondary school pupil said she lived with her unemployed 39-year-old mother and 64-year-old grandmother. She said the family survived on her grandmother’s elderly grant offered by the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Themba Masuku.

Nokwanda highlighted that her father resided in Pigg’s Peak and that he had no financial means to help look after her.

Other than her grandmother’s grant, she said, they also relied on the good graces of some family members. Oftentimes, she said her boyfriend, who is a driver based in South Africa, bought her new school shoes.

Boyfriend

Before she fell pregnant, Nokwanda said her boyfriend would often send her E500.

“However, he has since stopped taking my calls after I told him I am pregnant,” she said. Despite her pregnancy, Nokwanda articulated that she would work harder to improve her situation.

“I have no idea if the man responsible for my pregnancy will show up. It has been two months since we spoke. But I need to make something of my life for the sake of the baby,” she said, her eyes welling up.

The pair is just a fraction of the teenagers who have not returned to class following the abrupt closure of schools in March, which was followed by schools reopening on July 6, 2020.

Nkwene High School Head teacher Nelson Motsa said so far, one Form V pupil had not returned since schools reopened.

“Her parents came to report that she was pregnant and that was why she had not returned to school,” Motsa said.

He was of the view that the statistics given by the SRHU could also include some learners who were in other classes and had not returned.

“So for now, I am unable to ascertain if all these pupils belong to the school until government recalls all learners,” he said.

The head teacher further mentioned that there had been no reports about pregnancy from Form III learners since they reopened last Monday. Motsa said he did not deny that there could be more pupils from the same school. When responding to what factors could contribute to the huge number of pregnant pupils within the constituency, the head teacher said, the coronavirus pandemic was the major factor.

Confines

“During this period of the coronavirus pandemic, children had a lot of time staying home and they had ample time on their hands,” he said. Motsa said pupils avoided partaking in sexual intercourse when they were within the confines of school premises as they were guided by strict rules which stipulated that all pupils were to maintain an arm’s length distance from each other.

Motsa added that another factor was that parents did not have time for their children. He said this was seen when the school administration invited parents to meetings and young relatives of the pupils would show up instead of the real parents and guardians.

Motsa pointed out that sexual education through career guidance was included in the school syllabus. The head teacher said he believed this had an impact on some learners who implemented what they were taught in their personal lives. However, he said some pupils, despite the imparted knowledge, still engaged in sexual relationships. He said teachers were encouraged to teach learners about life lessons during academic lessons.

Negotiate

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Lady Mabuza encouraged parents whose children had fallen pregnant to approach head teachers and negotiate for them to return to class. Mabuza was queried on what it meant for pupils who found themselves staying at home after falling pregnant.

“Pupils should return to school. Another thing, parents should play a major role in ensuring that pupils go back to school,” the minister said. She highlighted that they should encourage learners that there was nothing wrong. Mabuza said even back in schools, teachers should take care of the pregnant pupils during Career Guidance lessons. “The Career Guidance Department should take over by engaging both parents and the pupils,” she said.

She mentioned that teachers should also engage the entire school and make them understand that they were accommodating the pregnant pupils to better their future.

Mabuza also requested those who had employed pupils when schools were closed, to release them since they had reopened.

She went on to say head teachers should do follow-ups on pupils who had not returned due to employment.