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EMPOWERING TEEN MOTHERS PROGRAM

Presented by: Dennis A. Glasgow

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BACKGROUND

At 97 out of 1000 births being to an underaged teen, Guyana remains one of the countries in the region with the highest rates of teen pregnancy and while there is a progressive Reintegration Policy that should afford young mothers the opportunity to complete their education; many of them do not. This is because adolescent mothers often lack the life skills, knowledge, and support to do so.

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As such, we embarked on this project teaching key life skills, exploring self &

values, discussing topics like SRHR (focusing on contraceptives and condom use to prevent

STDS & unintended pregnancies), mental health, and providing peer counseling and support to these mothers.

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ACTIONS

  1. A training curriculum was developed to cover key issues affecting teen mothers, focusing on self-esteem, life skills development, and increased competencies in understanding and caring for their Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights and Mental Health.
  2. An activities-based & interactive peer-to-peer learning workshop was conducted.
  3. Peer counseling and professional counselling services were made available to participants.
  4. At the end of the workshop, they were outfitted with brochures and learning materials, condoms, care packages and hampers.
  5. A post-workshop survey was also conducted.

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RESULTS

  1. Participants either returned to school or made plans to attend academic or trades-based learning institutions with the support of the organization.
  2. Increased knowledge of SRHR, contraceptives, and condom use.
  3. A virtual support group was established for participants to keep in contact with each other. & Participants were added to a larger network of teen mothers who receive various learning and speaking opportunities in Guyana and around the world.
  4. A few participants did access mental health services made available to them and some also brought their partners in for counseling and guidance from our social worker.

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CONCLUSIONS

Teen mothers need support when they get pregnant, during pregnancy, and especially after they have given birth

We need to have more opportunities for teen mothers to receive additional support which can return the power to them- when it comes to their education and development.

Programs like this give teen mothers a or give teen mothers a chance to balance self and professional development with their long-term child-care obligations; taking care of their mental health and being present for their babies.

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