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Poverty, desperation: Pain of teen mothers
Parenteen - By
Audrey Masitsa | January 18th 2021 at 10:49:38 GMT +0300
There has been a notable increase in teen pregnancies (Photo: Shutterstock)
Period poverty has seen many women and girls suffer economic and social disadvantages. During their menses, some women and girls are forced to stay at home instead of going to work or school for lack of sanitary products which many cannot afford.
In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the world. Apart from the health impact the virus has had, economies and livelihoods have suffered tremendously. Many were forced to leave their jobs and shut down their business. Children stayed home as schools were closed in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. The closure of schools not only set pupils back nine months in terms of their education but it also resulted in an escalation of teen pregnancies.
THE STANDARD
WESTERN
A form three student from Vihiga County is being held by police officers after he allegedly attacked and killed a security guard at the school.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the 18-year-old student is said to have become unruly and attacked fellow students when the guard, Willy Mukonambi, intervened.
“The student had become unruly and attacked other students using a metal rod, when the guard identified as Willy Mukonambi intervened,” DCI said in a tweet.
Police said the accused student then turned to the guard and hit him on the head repeatedly, using the metal rod.
THE STANDARD
What does Sh100 mean to you? May be just enough to buy groceries from mama mboga. For others, it barely registers in their daily expenditure.
For teenage girls in the slums of Nairobi, it is the amount they need to buy sanitary pads, and when they cannot raise it, they go looking for cash from men. And the result is unplanned pregnancy.
Desperate and choked by poverty, these girls become mothers at a tender age because of the struggle to ensure dignity while receiving their monthly period.
In informal settlements, teenage mothers drop out of school and look for menial jobs to cater for the babies. They wake up every day to look for casual jobs. But because they have no skills, certificates or government identification, they rarely earn more than Sh200.
THE STANDARD
CENTRAL
Police in Nyandarua County are holding a Form Three student arrested for attacking a teacher.
Samuel Migwi of Murichu Secondary School was nabbed on Monday after he rained blows and kicks on Mr John Gikonyo, the teacher on duty, for punishing him.
Gikonyo reportedly landed in trouble after he reprimanded Migwi for jumping the queue when they were being served lunch.
He was rescued by his colleagues who called the police.
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According to Nyandarua North sub-county police boss Timon Odingo, the school administration alerted the police who rushed to the scene and effected the arrest.
My Story: Social Media Saved Me From Third Suicide Attempt
Gladys Gakii, 41, shares how social media saved her from her third suicide attempt.
“In December 2018, I had enough of life and decided to commit suicide. That was my third attempt and which proved almost fatal.
But before taking my life, I decided to share my feelings to the world by posting in a social media group known as Group Kenya (now defunct) this message;
“I am so depressed. The only thing on my mind right now is suicide. Let nobody advise me to share because I have shared with a million people but nothing seems to change. My condition is worsening.”