Mmegi

Phikwe’s alarming teen pregnancies linked to absent parents

⬤ Town registers 44 teenage pregnancies, 47 defilement cases

Lesedi Mkhutshwa Correspondent

FRANCISTOWN: Absent parenting has been blamed for alarming cases of teenage pregnancy, defilement and delinquency cases recorded last year in Selebi-Phikwe.

As a result, Selebi-Phikwe District Health Management Team (DHMT) recently held an awareness campaign against teenage pregnancy.

Following the campaign, the area’s DHMT principal registered nurse and midwife, Caroline Setshego, told The Monitor that the town recorded 117 cases of teenage pregnancy, defilement and delinquency in 12 months.

She revealed that they registered 44, 47 and 26 cases of teenage pregnancy, defilement and delinquency respectively.

Setshego stated that learners revealed during their interviews that they have left school as a result of different reasons but amongst them absent parenting.

She said they also learnt that some of the pregnant learners did not go back to school because of stigma-associated reasons.

“Out of the (number) 35 pregnant children shared that they were defiled. Some of the defilement cases were not reported because parents were shielding the perpetrators due to numerous reasons,” she said.

Surprisingly, Setshego elaborated that churchgoing learners were not spared as some of the wrongdoers were members of different congregations.

Some of the victims disclosed that they were sexually abused at local church services in the absence of their parents.

As churches are believed to be a safe environment for children, parents should make it a point to safeguard their children at all times so that they are not taken advantage of, she added.

Setshego stated that children were also not happy with the justice system.

She stated that they complained of the delays and feedback on reported defilement cases.

Setshego elaborated that victims shared their terror of having to witness their perpetrators walking freely and to make matters worse some go to an extent of threatening them.

According to the principal registered nurse-midwife, most of the delinquent children noted that they are struggling at home.

“Most of them expressed that they engage in wrongful acts so that they can fend for their families due to their absent parents. Due to socio-economic status and parental alcohol abuse, some of the learners engage in sex work so that they can earn money to support their siblings,” she added.

She said to curb teenage pregnancy, defilement, and delinquency cases they are going to embark on house-to-house campaigns so that they reach out to more children.

Setshego said they are also going to hold a youth symposium to address young people-related issues in September.

One of the learners who addressed the recent consultative meeting spoke said they are confronted with several factors that contribute to the high number of teenage pregnancies in their town.

The student highlighted low socio-economic status, dysfunctional families, child-headed families, negligence and parental absenteeism as some of the factors leading to teenage pregnancy.

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2023-03-20T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-20T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://enews.mmegi.bw/article/281642489411101

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