Rukwa Region faces alarming rise in teen pregnancies; comprehensive actions needed

Sumbawanga. Poverty, lack of parental guidance, mixed cultures, and limited reproductive health education have been cited as the major reasons for escalating incidents of teen pregnancies in the Rukwa Region.

About 23 percent of girls aged 15-19 have given birth, and others have turned to be expectant mothers, the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) 2022 shows.

The situation is alarming in rural areas where teen pregnancies stand at 26 percent, 10 percent higher compared to their urban counterparts.

However, the situation is worse and more shocking in the Rukwa Region, where TDHS data shows that the incidents have been recorded at an average of 30 percent.

The trend requires comprehensive and collaborative efforts to rescue the girls for the best interest of the region and the country at large; hence, the government, the private sector, civil society organisations, policymakers, and many other stakeholders are required to join hands.

A resident of Kapewa village in Sumbawanga district, Ms Kudra Sakafu, 16, has already given birth to two children, the older aged two years.

Speaking to The Citizen during its recent visit to the region, Ms Sakafu said she got pregnant with a baby boy after being raped by her age mate, noting that the incident went unreported.

“The incident faded my dreams of becoming a nurse or a teacher. I consider it an accident because we loved each other and had committed to abstaining from sex at the tender age,” she regrets.

Detailing the incident, she said the rape one day raped happening occurred as she was on her way to the farm, hinting that she didn’t report what happened due to the deep love she had for him as they also planned to marry.

Furthermore, she says changes started occurring on her body, and she decided to remain with them without involving her grandmother, with whom she was living.

“However, a neighbour who discovered the condition informed my grandmother. I admitted to having been passing through changes, which was later confirmed pregnancy,” she says.

“However, a follow-up was made on the boy; he was nowhere to be found. He had opted to run away from the village, fearing arrest and arraignment for impregnating a student,” she adds.

According to her, the boy visited her after she had given birth to a baby boy, noting that he never returned, leaving the parenting responsibilities to her.

“I had to work in people’s farms as casual labour, where she used to receive an average of Sh1,000 to Sh2,000 as the two-hour wage. I used the money for buying food,” she details, noting that the burden to take care of her and the baby shifted to her grandmother.

Another victim, and a resident of Kapewa, Faustina Kitembe, 16, got pregnant shortly after being admitted for secondary education (Form I), forcing her to quit her studies.

“It all started with gifts and petty money I used to receive. The money that never exceeded Sh5,000 came from a person who used to say he deeply loved me. I never knew the incident would end in pregnancy and got chased away from home,” regrets Ms Faustina.

Despite being kicked from home, she says her parents recalled her after some time, saying there were times she was denied food as a punishment for what she had done.

Ms Kitembe said she resorted to engaging in some income-generation activities, including fetching water to some homes, to ease life difficulties.

According to her, she earned between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000 per day, the amount she used for buying food.

“The baby’s father hasn’t extended any support to the child’s upbringing, as I all struggle by myself and to a large extent with the backing of my parents,” she reveals.

Faustina’s father, Mr Deus Kitembe, said it was a painful experience for a parent to accept the schoolgirl's pregnancy, revealing that he forgave after being advised by other villagers.

“She strongly angered me, and it took too long to forgive. I had huge expectations of her,” he says.

No parental investment was made in terms of educating her about reproductive health and the dangers that were ahead of her.

“I considered her a kid who doesn’t deserve to know such issues. That has become a parenting lesson. I have now changed and started talking to my children and providing them parental guidance on different issues,” he adds regrettably.

Mr Kitembe advises other parents to closely monitor their children and provide guidance and education on the negative impacts of globalisation in their lives.

He blamed parents for dedicating their precious time to income-generation activities, forgetting children’s upbringing responsibility.

Furthermore, he says when parents get ample time, they spend in the bars with friends, leaving them unaware of the children's safety.

“Excessive use of alcohol and the children’s lack of hope in their parents sometimes exacerbate the scourge. Parents should increase their intimacy with their children and provide appropriate guidance, especially on issues of reproduction health,” he says.

The Rukwa Regional Coordinator for Reproductive Health and Child, Ms Asha Nzina, says teen pregnancies deny girls the opportunity to go to school and are sometimes associated with health implications.

She says the trend has been on the increase in the region, especially from 2021 to June 2024, with the surging number of girls attending clinics in the region.

“Incidents stood at 20.6 percent in 2021, increased to 20.7 percent in 2022, 20.9 percent in 2023, and 21.3 percent between January and June 2024,” she says.

Furthermore, teen pregnancies were popular in the Sumbawanga Municipal Council, which recorded 23.6 percent in 2023, increasing to 24.2 percent between January and June 2024.

“Lack of reproductive health education among girls, culture, and traditions, as some cultures prohibit parents from talking to their children openly about sex issues and associated dangers,” she says, noting that mostly they are engaged in such discussions after attaining the puberty age.

“Also, some cultures in the region embrace outdated practices such as early marriages to dowry and avoid the shame of a girl getting pregnant at home,” she adds.

According to her, teen pregnancies are sometimes associated with health complications that could lead to maternal and child deaths, fistulas, and pregnancy epilepsy, as well as underweight babies, among others.

Teen pregnancy, she says, results in depression mostly because of the girls' financial instability, family rejections, and societal stigma.

She calls for increased transparency among parents and teachers towards girls in the process of education provision and guidance.

Commenting on the regional efforts to address the challenge, Ms Nzina says different programs have been rolled out in the region, including collaborating with development partners to educate youth and empower healthcare service providers.

She emphasises that sexual reproductive health education for the youth has to be delivered in a conducive and friendly environment.

Brochures should be provided detailing stages of maturity and the best ways to effectively and efficiently live their lives.

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