The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), Kenya chapter, has embarked on a crucial initiative to address the alarming rates of teenage pregnancy in the country.
The program is being implemented in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation in the Imarisha Msichana Project.
It targets at least 20 counties, including Nakuru, Nairobi, Machakos, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kiambu and Garissa where teenage pregnancy rates are disproportionately high.
Others are Narok, Homabay, Trans Nzoia, Nyandarua, Busia, Meru, Siaya, Bungoma, Kakamega, Nyeri, Migori, Murang'a Turkana and Kajiado.
At the core of the project are strategic interventions designed to tackle the root causes of teenage pregnancy and facilitate the reintegration of young mothers into the education system.
FAWEK plans to work closely with key stakeholders to generate credible data on teenage pregnancies, advocate for the re-entry of girls into school after pregnancy, and conduct sensitization forums on human sexuality and prevention.
The re-entry to school policy advocates that girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy should be re-admitted after weaning.
“The aim of this policy is to find measures to help prevent the exclusion of young mothers from education,” Justus Makhulo, the Nairobi region coordinator said in a statement.
Makhulo highlighted the detrimental impact of teenage pregnancy on girls' access to education and subsequent employment opportunities.
Additionally, the organisation aims to develop lessons and best practices for reducing teenage pregnancy and early marriage, which can be scaled up and adopted by various stakeholders.
The ultimate goal, he stated, is to ensure more girls are retained in schools and complete their education to be more productive people in society.
Through community sensitization efforts and increased awareness of school re-entry policies, FAWEK aims to foster a supportive environment for teen mothers, ultimately leading to higher rates of retention and reintegration into the education system.
FAWE is a network of 34 Chapters in 33 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.