During daily pastoral work, the Salesians at the Don Bosco Palabek refugee camp have come to know in depth the reality of what life is like for the many young girls who, due to abuse or lack of information, have become mothers before reaching adulthood. They are brave young women who decided to have their babies and keep them by their side, despite the difficult circumstances that surround them.
Many adolescent girls throughout Uganda struggle with the challenges that accompany teenage pregnancies, and the issue is widespread across the country. Teenage pregnancy is responsible for almost one-fifth of all births in Uganda each year, and 32,000 teenage pregnancies are recorded in the country each month.
Here at Don Bosco Palabek, we would like to start a support programme for teenage mothers; a programme that helps these girls develop into healthy and resilient mothers.
According to the rules of the education system in Uganda, students who are pregnant or nursing mothers cannot attend school, which means that many of these girls do not receive the education and training appropriate to their age. If they do go to school, they usually stop breastfeeding because they do not have facilities to have their babies nearby when they are in class. This is something unthinkable for many of these young mothers, who do not have other means to feed their babies (in addition to the fact that, according to the WHO, breast milk is the most recommended diet for young babies).
Almost all of these teenage mothers in Palabek have fled from war and have not had the time or space they need to develop, improve their self-esteem, or learn how to look after their sons and daughters. They need training and information on how to care for their babies and themselves. It is difficult for them to maintain basic hygiene routines and healthy habits due to the lack of external supports available to them.
They have no plans for the future, and we were surprised to discover that sadly, they have no dreams or hopes appropriate for their age. Their main concern is their babies, and this pushes them to forget about themselves, which in turn leads to serious harm for these young mothers and their babies alike.
However, we can also see that these teenage mothers are open to learning and improving their lifestyle. They are willing to dedicate time to training and they long to have a full life with their sons and daughters.
For all these reasons, we thought about the possibility of creating a safe space for babies to stay while mothers are in class. This would make it easier for these mothers to continue breastfeeding and would give them peace of mind.
It would also be interesting to create a school for young mothers for emotional education and attachment, hygiene and healthy habits, and to promote their self-esteem. To get them to love themselves and their babies in a healthy and safe way. To create a community between them so that they can share concerns, experiences, and life. To have the support of other experienced mothers…
It is also important to educate and inform the young population of the settlement about safe pregnancies and relationships.
We are sure that with a little support and a programme dedicated to these young mothers, the future will be better and brighter for all of them. A future full of hope, dreams, and joy for them and their babies.
Through Don Bosco, they could overcome the challenges they face, develop their talents, make friends, build peace, train in leadership skills, and be well-equipped for the future.
With this dream, we will be able to achieve the motto of our Palabek Mission, “Rebuilding Lives of Refugees”.
Source: Salesians of Ireland
