TEENAGE PREGNANCY

South Africa’s number of teenage pregnancies are rocketing out of control. Numbers quoted from the Sunday Times (May 20th, 2007) as follows: Grade 5’s (55); Grade 6 (129); Grade 7 (346); Grade 8 (648); Grade 9 (913); Grade 10 (1131); Grade 11 (1003 and in Grade 12 (790).

Districts with the highest numbers of child-headed homes and orphans are Lusikisiki and Mbizana had the highest rates of schoolgirl pregnancies. Many of the girls (abandoned by the young fathers) are left to tend to the baby on their own and in most cases, this is an almost impossible task.

Many of the young fathers who abandon their responsibility do so as they are not earning salaries. Older fathers sometimes contribute financially after buying clothing, food or offering money to sleep with the young girls in the first place.

The young girls, particularly from poverty-stricken rural areas are believed to cash in on government child support grants (R200 a month!) There appears to be competition as to how many children each girl has and how much money they earn from the grants. Needless to say, the grant does not cover much of a child’s needs.

It is alarming that given all the emphasis and publicity on HIV/Aids, the pregnancy trend is heading in the opposite direction.

The situation of young girls getting involved with older men makes it worse, how does a Grade 5 girl negotiate the use of a condom with an older man? Bears not even thinking about!

What can the schools/government/parents/society do about this?

A new set of radical proposals set up by the Education Department seem to have a good plan which may decrease the unbelievable numbers of pregnancies.

They have recommended that the mothers do not go back to school in the year in which they give birth. It makes provision for the boy to take paternity leave to help with caring for the child. It was stated that the pregnant pupil and the father (if he is also a pupil) would be requested to take leave of absence from school of up to two years.

This may communicate that the children must abstain from sex and complete their education first. Schools must provide support and guidance to vulnerable pupils who are at risk and the message must be sent clearly and loudly and consistently around the schools.

Mafu Rakometsi (Free State’s superintendent-general of Education) said it sent a message that when a girl became pregnant, it was not something to celebrate.

Let’s hope that numbers will decrease slowly and that the message comes across to all young learners. It is indeed a tragedy when a child as young as 10 or 11 has a child!

The following article is courtesy of the RUTH PREGNANCY CRISIS CENTRE.

They have an absolutely wonderful website set up and whether you are a resident of South Africa or not, I highly recommend a visit to it. A section I think all teenagers should read through is “Sex – let’s talk about it”

Their website is www.ruth.org.za

They are affiliated to Africa Cares for Life www.africacaresforlife.org.za

This article appeared in the local Bedfordview and Edenvale News, April 11, 2007

TEENAGE PREGNANCY – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

“Mom, I am pregnant.” These are not the words parents want to hear from their teenage daughter. Finding out that you are pregnant should be one of the most joyous occasions in a woman’s life. But a teenage girl will not necessarily experience the same joy as a woman.Most pregnant teens feel that they have lost their parents’ trust. They may feel alone and wonder what their options are. These teens are facing futures they have not planned for. In a survey conducted by Statistics South Africa in 2005, out of 46 913 teenage girls, about 13 percent of them were pregnant and for this reason they did not attend school.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

When your teenage daughter breaks the news to you that she is pregnant, you may feel shocked, disappointed and embarrassed. Parents must remember to stay calm, avoid assigning blame or condemning. They should focus on the positive.Be an asset to your daughter by reassuring her of your unconditional love and affirming your confidence in her. Your daughter cannot read your mind, so you need to tell her that you love her and that you are there for her. She needs to be reassured that she has her whole life ahead of her and one mistake does not have to ruin her future.

Her health should be at the top of your priority list. So find a compassionate doctor who can advise her on how to eat healthy and how to exercise properly. Also be aware of hormonal changes that may have an effect on her emotional wellbeing and may add stress to her body.A comfortable environment also needs to be established for your daughter.

This can be done by:

OPTIONS:-

Your daughter needs to be reminded that she does have options.These options include adoption, abortion and single parenthood.

Adoption: if you choose adoption, the first step is to find out what adoption agencies are in your area. Next you should contact the agencies and request information about adoption. Many expectant mothers are worried about the home their child may be adopted into. A mother need not worry as the screening process to qualify as an adoptive parent is strict and includes interviews, home visits, criminal background checks and psychological screening.

Abortion: Although abortion is often seen as “the easy way out”, there are some things one should consider before making a decision. The process of abortion is not just one pill. According to the Ruth Pregnancy Crisis Centre, there are a series of pills that induce chemical abortion. The first pill will deplete the lining of the uterus. It also prevents progesterone in a woman’s body from working. As this occurs, the blood supply to the developing embryo will be cut off and the embryo will suffocate to death. Within the next two days a second pill will have to be taken. This pill will induce labour and cause a woman to “deliver” her baby. After the chemical abortion is successful, one can expect the following to occur:

Abortion has also been linked to an increase of woman getting breast cancer

The questions asked by the child of an unmarried parent, will undoubtly be difficult for the parent to answer.A single parent must be as honest as they can be without hurting the child. Honesty is probably the best policy in the long run, even though it may present difficulties. It may even be advisable to simply say, “I made a mistake in getting involved when I was very young. But I love you very much and you are special to me.”The best way to avoid an unwanted pregnancy is to practice abstinence.

- Article courtesy of Ruth Pregnancy Crisis Centre

SOME AMAZING WORK BEING DONE IN THE USA …

Thank you to George Marchinkowski (Moderator of the Presbytery of eGoli and Minister of the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Edenvale – South Africa), who shared his experience with me of his recent visit to the USA to learn about a program which is run there.

He particularly spoke of his visit to Cullman, Alabama where they have a program called ‘Cullman Caring for Kids’. This is a nonprofit organization that relies on funding from United Way of Cullman County, Children’s Trust Fund and donations from individuals and organizations. Their mission? To reduce child abuse and neglect in their community.

A program such as this has proved to be greatly needed by the number of abuse and neglect cases reported within the community.

This extremely valuable organization sponsors events held by civic groups, churches or any other organization in order to promote knowledge and concern for the child abuse program and the community’s involvement in its prevention.

Through Cullman C.A.R.E.S. (Child Abuse Rescue Thru Education in Schools), they strive to accomplish their mission through their School-based Child Abuse Prevention Program. Their goal is to reach every child in Kindergarten through sixth grade in all Cullman County and Cullman City Schools. They are also serving children in several Head Start and daycare programs.

“We teach the children what child abuse is (sexual, physical, emotional, and neglect). We teach them that they are special and are people just like adults. We let them know that no one has a right to hurt them in any way. We teach them that the best way to get help is to tell a trusted adult. We let them know who some of these adults could be. We also teach the children how to deal with aggressive feelings, identify ways to resolve conflicts without aggression, and to manage their anger.”

They point out some of the reasons why children do not disclose abuse/incest/sexual molestation:

As stated by them, no single factor is necessarily conclusive in the telltale signs of child abuse and it’s often the combination of clues, some of them being:

As for an abusing parent, he or she generally:

Through the Cullman Caring for Kids, they run various classes aimed at various groups, some being:

A 12 session parenting class where good basic parenting skills are taught. Being a good role model, using the reward system, how to use effective time out, reflective listening, behaviour penalty and how to build self esteem.

New Beginnings being an early intervention program designed to provide new parents with good information they can use during the early stages of their child’s life. It includes the support of at least one follow up with the parents after they leave the hospital. The information packet contains information on things such as nutrition, shaken baby syndrome and infant health.

Their F.A.T.H.E.R.S. program, is a prevention program for males aged 14 to 19 who are not fathers but are at risk of being abusive or neglectful fathers. These young men are taught such things as: how to care for an infant, stages of childhood development, communication skills, relationship skills and abstinence before marriage. 20% of founded cases of child abuse in Cullman County in 2004 were committed by juveniles under the ages of 17.

The K.A.R.S. Program (Kids at Risk in Schools)

This provides 6th to 8th grade students with some necessary skills for reducing the occurrence of violence in schools and outside their academic lives. This program deals with such issues as decision making, anger management, bullying, conflict resolution techniques and consequences for violence behaviour. In the past few years the largest increase in violence has been in middle school age children. This program was designed to help slow the trend of violent behaviour. “When we don’t pay attention to our children, and give them the things they need to make good decisions on their own, we are asking for problems.”

The following is pointed out when looking for signs of troubled teenagers:

• withdraws from family and friends and demands complete solitude• loses interest in old groups of friends or begins hanging out with a new and different crowd• changes style of clothing or dresses drastically, begins reading unusual kinds of literature or visits derogatory or troublesome internet sites• no longer brings home friends• becomes secretive in dealing and social plans with friends.

They emphasize the need to show your child love and attention and how important it is to listen to your child, know where they go and with whom they are with, no matter their age!

Another vital program run by them is M.O.M.S. (Making Opportunity for Maternal Success)

This program consists of 16 group sessions and is offered to young ladies aged between 11 and 15. Each group has 8 to 10 young ladies and takes place in a casual setting for comfortable participation. There is a group area, a crafts area, a reading area and a demonstration area which is set-up to teach etiquette, table setting, proper manners, and make-up application. Each session includes at least one of the following: video presentations, hands-on participation, lecture, group activities, journaling and reading assignments. Guest speakers are invited from time to time giving the young ladies up-to-date information. Each session lasts approximately 2 hours.

Who is appropriate for MOMS Program?

• Girls aged 11 to 15• Girls involved with Juvenile Court• Girls who are referred to the School Systems for chronic in-school behaviour problems• Girls who need positive female role model• Girls whose parents or legal custodian feels would benefit from the program (girls referred by parents or legal custodian must agree to complete the program)

Topics covered are Values; Communication; Decision Making; Anger Control; Drugs and Alcohol; Who’s Body – Mine!; Purity-how to have it; Abstinence; Teen Dating Violence; Pregnancy-what to expect; Taking care of an infant; Table manners; Money matters; How to plan.

This unbelievable organization also operates the Cullman County Food Bank with the help of United Way of Cullman. Non perishable food items and monetary donations are always welcomed and put to great use in their community. USDA guidelines are used to determine eligibility.

Should you be interested in becoming a volunteer, contact them at their offices. (Details given below)

CAN YOU HELP? Of course you can! You can help by making a donation to the Children’s Trust fund or supporting directly through volunteer and/or financial support for this unbelievable cause.

I think the more society starts caring about our young, who are our future, the better place the world will become. We need to start curing problems from the bottom and work our way up!

Contact them for more info. Their details as follows:

Cullman Caring for Kids, Inc.402 Arnold Street NE, Suite W-1Cullman, AL 35055Phone: (256) 739-1111Or email: cullmancaringforkids@msn.com