Child mothers in Kasese district have beaten the odds to go back to school and pursue their education.
Kasese district has a high number of child mothers aged between 13 and 17years, especially in Maliba and Mukunyu sub counties who were raped, defiled or forcefully married off by their parents who are hungry for dowry.
Despite giving birth to more than one child at an early age, some of the child mothers have returned to school, as they also look after their children.
Asea Kisuki, a student of Holy Dove Secondary School says that she was impregnated while in primary seven at the age of 14 years by a man of 30 years who often drove her to school. Asea says that she sat her Primary Leaving Examinations when she was pregnant, but managed to score 19 aggregates.
She says that after giving birth, the PLE results inspired her to go back to school, because she knew she would perform better in secondary school. The jovial Asea says that her parents encouraged her to return to school.
Asea who is now in senior three, however, says that she is facing a challenge of carrying on with her education and looking after her child. She says that some times she doesn’t attend classes especially when his 3-year old son is sick.
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Sarah Biira, a student at Semiliki High School got pregnant at age 13 when she was in senior two. She says that after giving birth she requested her parents to take her back to school, but they refused.
Biira says that when she told the father of her child that she wanted to go back to school, he promised to return her to school only if she accepts to be pregnant again. Because she was desperate to go back to school, she gave birth to another child and a year later, she returned to school.
Biira however says that despite the problem of school fees, she is happy to go back to school because she hopes to get a job in future and look after her children.
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Professor Victoria Mwaka, a gender activist says that child mothers should be encouraged to go back to school, but the causes of early marriages should be addressed first. Mwaka says that if the problem is not addressed, then more girls will get pregnant.
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According to a report released by ISIS –WICCE, an international women organization on early marriages, at least every family in Kasese district has a girl who was either defiled or conceived as a teenager. A survey was carried out in Maliba and Mukunyu sub-counties in the district.
Statistics from ISIS-WICCE show that so far 25% of the child mothers in Kasese district have returned to school.
