“When my child was almost two years old, I talked to my husband about going back to school. He refused and promised not to give me any school-related support. I missed school so much and being the first born in my family, I wanted to go back to school, to learn and to be able to make money and support my family. My father passed away in 2015 while we were still in South Sudan,” she says.
“With support from Finn Church Aid, I enrolled back in school in 2020 and I am currently in senior three at Idiwa Parents SS. I want to become a nurse in future and my best subjects are Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Mathematics. My grandmother takes care of my child when I am at school,” says Santina.
Many teenage girls in Uganda drop out of school due to pregnancy and this has been exacerbated by two years of school closures due to Covid-19. Marvin Wasswa, the Finn Church Aid (FCA) Moyo area manager says since schools re-opened in January 2022, FCA has enrolled over one hundred teenage mothers in Palorinya refugee settlement.
“Education is not only important for teenage mothers; it’s also a human right. If we are to have refugees and host communities contribute to national development, then we must ensure that we provide an inclusive learning environment,” Wasswa says.
FCA’s education program has revised guidelines on prevention and management of teenage pregnancy in schools in Uganda. The approach focuses on reintegrating child mothers into the formal school system and mandates that schools ensure their safety and wellbeing.
“Knowledge and skills are important for teenage mothers because they help them break the cycle of poverty, especially in women-led households. Schools are the safest place for learners. When they stay in school, they are better protected from exploitation and sexual abuse,” Wasswa says.
Nineteen-year-old Harriet Daa Chaplain fled South Sudan in 2017 with her mother and siblings. “I was raped when I was 16 and got pregnant. I was very scared and did not report this to anyone. Months later, my mother noticed I was pregnant and took me for a check-up where the pregnancy was confirmed,” Chaplain says.
“I had to drop out of school for some time. I later decided to return because I want to complete school and get a job that will support the family. I would like to become a nurse in future. My mother sells local brew to cater for my school fees and Finn Church Aid provides me with scholastic materials and dignity kits,” she says.
“Taking care of the child and balancing studies has been challenging to me. Sometimes I reach school late because I have to take care of my baby before I go to school.”
FCA has established a school-based protection system in schools within refugee settlements that provide age and gender inclusive social safety nets and ensure timely access to adequate information. With funding from the UN refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migration (PRM), FCA provides scholarships to vulnerable children and is currently constructing breast-feeding corners in schools to support teenage mothers.
“Teenage mothers are sometimes stigmatised at school. FCA provides them with psychosocial support, career guidance, counselling and therapeutic art sessions. We have also enrolled them in girl empowerment programs that inform them of their rights and responsibilities and empowers them with the communication and leadership skills. This supports the teenage mothers not only in making informed decisions but also helps them to participate in decisions affecting their lives,” says Wasswa.
Finn Church Aid, with funding by EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), also implements a condensed curriculum that allows refugee children who have not been able to attend school for long periods to catch up with their lost school years in Ugandan refugee settlements. “I would like to encourage other girls who have given birth to return to school because education is important for a bright future,” says Chaplain.
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