Life Skills Education to End Teenage Pregnancy

Dear Esteemed Friends and Partners,

Thanks to your generosity, HFAW team made it to Kiemuma school in Nyamira, Kenya in the month of January 2025. We reached 211 learners (107 boys and 87 girls. The school also has a teaching staff
of 15, comprised of 4 male and 11 female teachers, along with 2 subordinate staff members all who provided an enabling environment for meaningful discussions on a pressing issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early teenage pregnancy and the relationship between this harmful practices. 

Our session commenced with an assembly of all students, where we introduced the topic of FGM and its impact on young girls. Nyamira County ranks 5th out of the 47 counties in Kenya in cases of early teenage pregnancies, and through our discussions, we sought to understand how FGM is practiced and what contributes to this alarming trend.

The students whose names we have been changed for confidentiality passionately participated in our workshop. “The cut is performed by a person who comes in a white coat with syringes and cotton and assures our parents that the cut is safe.” Shared Edinah. “The cut happens very early, at dawn before people wake up.” Added Mosiara.

“After the girl undergoes FGM she receives many gifts not only from parents but men in the community. Many of her friends get influenced to also seek attention and this can easily lead to pregnancy.” Explained Lydia. And Kemunto was more to the point that “I can also share that we are exposed to adult behavior at home and this makes girls and boys desire to experiment with sex.”

HFAW team explored deeply the root causes of FGM, its links to societal expectations of girls and women and why it must end. They addressed the effect of this practice, the children’s and women
rights and the importance of bodily autonomy. They went further to explore the impact of teenage pregnancies. “There are devastating consequences of early pregnancies.” Implored HFAW staff. The
team encouraged the students to focus on their education and self-advocacy and urged boys to stand as allies in the fight against harmful practices.

 By the end of the session, there was a shared commitment among the learners and teachers work together in rejecting harmful traditions. There was emphasis on mentorship for the girls and boys by their teachers.

The school expressed their gratitude for the discussion and requested further engagement in the future.

As HFAW team, we too extend our deep gratitude to you all our friends and cheerleaders for your unwavering support. Your contributions allow us to continue spreading awareness, advocating for change, and equipping young people with the knowledge and confidence to make empowered choices. Please share our mission with your friends, colleagues, and family—together, we can continue this vital work of uplifting communities and protecting girls. Saving even one girl from the cut and from early pregnancy is just worthy it.

With deepest appreciation,

Doris Kananu
Program Director