All Aunties Assemble! How 'Learn Work Develop' Is Fighting Against Barriers to Young Mothers’ School Return in Rwanda

In rural African communities, when a young girl becomes pregnant, there is often an immediate assumption that she will drop out, disrupting her educational journey. Sadly, even when her child is grown and the young mother aspires to resume her schooling, she continues to face the weight of stigma, both within her community and at school. Moreover, her parents are likely to discourage her from pursuing her education after the birth of her child.

“It is not easy for me, but I am trying my best because I really want to go back to school. It would be better for me if someone could make my mother understand that it is necessary for me to go back to school - maybe she will let me after the baby is born.” – A statement from a respondent highlighted in our Covid-19 report: Understanding the Barriers to Girls’ School Return.

In the study, girls also highlighted the importance of programs aimed at sensitizing local communities about the unique needs and challenges faced by pregnant girls and young mothers. Many participants shared their experiences of encountering hostility within their homes and communities when attempting to return to school. This emphasizes the need to educate parents and communities about the importance of education, gender equality, and the successful reintegration of pregnant girls and young mothers into the community and educational system.

In the Eastern Province of Rwanda, Learn Work Develop (LWD), an AMPLIFY Girls partner, witnessed a sharp increase in teenage pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Founded in 2013, LWD’s mission is to promote effective work and sustainable employment among the youth and women addressing barriers such as early marriages, teenage pregnancy, climate change, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases.

In 2020, when COVID-19 hit and with the rise in teenage pregnancy in the community, LWD started the “MASENGE MBA HAFI (please aunty be near me)” program in Rukara Sector in Kayonza District. Through the program, LWD engaged volunteers and trusted members of the community; whom they referred to as ‘Aunties’ to intervene by providing sexual education and counseling to the girls and their parents who were often frustrated about their daughters’ pregnancy.

The program was well received by the community and has since grown to become a holistic community-based approach to community sensitization on raising awareness about pregnancy and the rights of pregnant girls. There is now a high need to expand to the neighboring districts and other areas in the country.

Girl beneficiaries at the Launch of LWD’s Education and Innovation Fund

In 2021, post-COVID-19 school closures, with support from the AMPLIFY Girls Education and Innovation Fund (E and I Fund), LWD got the chance to expand the program to Rwamagana District to support more girls through vocational training and return to traditional education. Through the program, LWD was able to support 35 girls to pursue their secondary school education and another 35 to pursue vocational training courses in tailoring and hairdressing. Of the 70 girls supported to return to education pathways, 18 were young mothers. The E and I Fund went towards tuition fees, scholastic materials, and providing the girls with hygiene supplies to sustain them throughout the school terms.

Clementine is one of the young mothers who benefited from the “MASENGE MBA HAFI” program supported by the E and I fund. “I was desperate because of my pregnancy, and I had no hope of continuing my studies. I also had no school fees and at home, they had no means to support me,” Clementine says.

With counseling and support from LWD’s ‘Aunties’, Clementine regained her confidence. In 2021, she got the opportunity to return to school through the E and I fund and is currently in senior 6 and about to sit for her final secondary-level exams. She says she is now confident about her future and hopes to continue to university to pursue a degree in Information Technology.

LWD says tracking girls’ school retention and performance to ensure their transition poses a challenge for them due to limited resources. Apart from engaging volunteers, LWD currently mobilizes resources to provide economic empowerment to the girls’ families to improve their livelihoods and ensure sustainability.

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