A Healthy Start
Betty and Baby with new supplies!
A few weeks ago, I wrote about Betty, a 14-year-old new mother who needed baby supplies. Betty is an orphan with no family to help her, and she was a victim of violence.
I'm happy to let you know that thanks to our wonderful community of donors, Betty and her baby received diapers, clothes, blankets, food, and other needed items. She is also now enrolled in the hairdressing program at our Girls' Vocational Center. The change in her outlook has been wonderful to see, and you helped put that big smile on her face!
In the past year, we have had eight girls, ages 12 to 17, who were pregnant (from what we call “difficult circumstances”) come to us in need of help.
Most often, the teen girls don't seek out help until they are close to delivering their baby because they are embarrassed and afraid. They have had no prenatal care and are unsure of their delivery date. They have no plan for where they are going to deliver, and often are orphans living on their own.
Many of their situations are so challenging and sad, and they have nowhere to go for help. We are it for these girls. Fortunately, for most of the girls who come to us in time, they have been able to deliver in a clinic or hospital.
We've also been able to get them baby supplies, including mosquito nets to help keep the babies from getting malaria. This is all because of you, our donors!
Investing in these babies goes a long way to giving them a healthy start and breaking the cycle of poverty.
Hanifa and her daughter Mutesi!
Hanifah is another young mother (just 14 years old) who delivered her daughter last week. Again, thanks to our wonderful community of donors, Mutesi was born in a clinic and weighed 7 ½ pounds! They are both doing well. She also has diapers, clothes, soap, a mosquito net, and other supplies to help. Hanifah has few resources, and thankfully, a community member is giving her a place to live. Our team members will continue to check on them.
Uganda faces a significant challenge with teenage pregnancy, with rates remaining among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, hovering around 25%. Nearly one in four teenagers becomes pregnant before the age of 19. This rate is even higher in the rural districts.
Kamuli District, where we primarily work, has the fourth highest rate of teen pregnancy in the country.
We are working hard each day through our programs to keep girls in school, bringing reproductive health classes to the remote villages, and training girls so they can support themselves and educate their children. These programs are key to breaking the generational cycle of poverty.
The girls and women are well aware of the support you provide, and they are very grateful!
Thank you for being on this journey with us and for all you do!
With Gratitude,
Mary
P.S.- We currently have two projects posted on our Donorsee site for two young mothers. Joan, is due next month, and 12-year-old Immaculate's baby Tracy was born premature.
