School going girls in Homa Bay County have been urged to focus on their studies and desist from early sexual relations.
Homa-Bay Governor’s wife Rosella Awiti said premature unplanned pregnancies were an impediment to girls realising their dreams.
Speaking to girls drawn from St Vincent Secondary, Yala and Karabok Secondary Schools during a mentorship program, Mrs Awiti expressed concern over high prevalence of unplanned pregnancies and early marriages in the county.
She said teenage mothers run a high risk of developing complications when giving birth.
Mrs Awiti further observed that early pregnancies can have a traumatic effect on the girls.
She attributed the teenage pregnancies to extreme poverty noting that the girls engaged in sex in exchange for money to buy sanitary pads.
“The young girls get pregnant after their parents fail to provide them with pads,” Awiti said.
She urged the parents to take care of the girls and not marry them off once they get pregnant but re-enroll them in schools instead.
“Most of the time I walk around with pads to give to the girls,” She said.
A form two student from Karabok Secondary School Milka Atieno appreciated the efforts of Mrs. Awiti in providing them with sanitary towels and starting a mentorship program to empower them.
“We thank Mama County for providing us with the sanitary pads because most of us can’t afford them,” Atieno said.
by Viola Atieno/Davis Langat
