TEENAGE PREGNANCY HOLDING NATION BACK

Sir,
 
We all know that in Eswatini a girl-child is well-catered for. We have laws that ensure the protection and good welfare of the 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 being pregnant? The problem with teen pregnancy is that it gives rise to a lot more problems. By just one problem, three or more problems emerge.

What I see here is that as young girls we are failing to go the same direction as government, we are going the opposite direction in as far as our well-being is concerned. There’s free primary education which government pays and girls drop out due to being pregnant; there are free condoms everywhere anytime one needs them and girls ignore them and fall pregnant. In schools girls receive free toiletry packs as a way to stop them from having sexual intercourse with older men but they still drop out due to being pregnant.

During my schools days we held debates on the causes of teenage pregnancies, poverty, rape, unemployment and lack of knowledge. Poverty, for instance, can be curbed in many ways. We have people like pastors, teachers and community leaders whom you can approach and seek help as a girl before your bright future becomes bleak. There’s no need for one to resolve to sexual practices for the sake of food when there are safe means of getting it. That is why even the sex industry remains illegal in Eswatini. Teenage pregnancy holds us back as a nation yet we want to attain First World status.

We are promoting the ‘vote for a woman’ campaign but how are we going to achieve that when today’s generation isn’t able to learn further? I wonder if there’s something that can further be done regarding this teenage pregnancy issue. It should dawn on every girl’s mind that we must think about our future and that of the country. Let us not sell ourselves cheap; we are not worth that take-away meal, that E50 pocket money and that ride in a fancy car.

In as much as our government and parents ensure our good protection and welfare, asibabambiseni phela. Some of our parents are not financially stable; they work hard to provide for our basic needs. Some have never had the opportunity to be in school but they want to see us educated and that’s because they love us. Do we love them back? If yes then let’s act as such, by sticking to their advice to lessen the chances of falling pregnant at a young age.

Welile Pertunia Luyengo

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