Young, pregnant and out of school

…the plight of Ohangwena’s teen mothers

*Dolly Joseph (16) is one of many pregnant teenagers housed at the Ewaranda shelter for expecting mothers at Eenhana.

She has been at the shelter for three weeks while awaiting her due date some time this week.

The shelter accommodates expecting mothers of all ages who need to be close to hospital facilities as their due dates approach.

Dolly, who is from Epembe in the Ohangwena region, dropped out of school in Grade 9, while three months pregnant.

She told The Namibian this week she could not continue her education due to the stigma as her belly grew bigger.

“I decided to leave, because I know in the end I will have to leave school anyways. When I get the baby, who will stay home with the child? I live with my grandmother and aunt, but I know they are so busy with other children and my aunt goes out to sell her things to make money, because no one else works. We only depend on the money she makes and my grandmother’s monthly pension,” said Dolly.

She said she met the boy who impregnated her while walking to and from school.

“We don’t go to the same school but we live in the same village. He is 18 years old and in Grade 11. He is still in school and I still don’t know how we will support our child when both of us do not work. I hope both our relatives can help us to buy nappies and blankets for the child.”

She said shame stopped her from accessing the free contraceptives offered at health facilities.

“I have never been to the clinics for family planning, because of shame. One would not want the clinic staff to find out that you are sexually active because you are afraid they will talk.”

While she received sexual education at school, she said it was simply not understandable to all.

Dolly is still hopeful about returning to school to complete her secondary education.

“I do want to return to school, however, I do not know when, because I have to look after the child once born,” she said.

*Elizabeth Haufiku (15) is also at the shelter. She hails from Oumdaungilo, close to the Angolan border.

Like Dolly, Elizabeth also dropped out of school due to her pregnancy. She was in Grade 10.

Elizabeth lives with her unemployed mother and five cousins, who are all in school. Her mother depends on the money earned by selling the harvest of her field in nearby towns and pension points.

There is no other stable source of income for the family.

Knowing that her baby will add to the family’s financial burden, Elizabeth can only hope her mother will manage with the new addition.

Elizabeth came to the shelter with no money for food. She depends on other pregnant teens to survive until she delivers her baby and can return home.

“I know of other school mates who left school due to pregnancy and I knew it could happen to me too. I took it as normal because it happens to every other girl. I know I am young and I am not ready to be a mother, but I am already pregnant, so I have just accepted it.”

*Helena Haimbili (15) speaks shyly about her prospects now that she is expecting a baby. She dropped out of school in Grade 9.

“I know I have made a mistake by falling pregnant, because I had hopes to finish school, but [circumstances] caused this to happen.

The man who made me pregnant is an Angolan cattle herder who is employed at our village. At least he is working, but I am not sure he will stand by me to fully financially support the child once born.”

Ewaranda supervisor Saima Iimene told The Namibian yesterday the shelter is overwhelmed by pregnant teens under the age of 16.
She said the shelter receives more than 30 pregnant girls each month.

“The girls are just too many, most are from Angola and villages bordering Angola inside Namibia.”

Most of the girls never return to school after having their babies, she said.

“Most come back right after their first child to deliver again. We give them counselling and advise them to return to school, but they don’t listen.”

She said many of the girls come from very poor backgrounds.

“It seems they don’t care about poverty. They will just carry on [falling pregnant].”

Iimene appealed to Ohangwena governor Sebastian Ndeitunga to visit the shelter to determine how to assist.

She also called on good Samaritans to help where they can.

“Some of these girls don’t have blankets and nappies or even food to eat while here.”

Last month, the rates of teenage pregnancy in the region shocked Namibians when it was revealed that 9 077 girls below the age of 19 fell pregnant between 2020 and April 2024. In the same period, 283 girls under the age of 14 fell pregnant, with the youngest being nine years old.

These statistics were revealed during the regional intergenerational parents and young people dialogue at Eenhana by Ohangwena chief health programme officer for family health Angolo Angolo.

*Not their real names. The names of the teenagers have been changed to protect their identity.