WHO’S TO BLAME?

Abortion is ILLEGAL in our country, yet young girls are still dying as a result of having unsafe abortions.  It is so infuriating and disheartening when very young girls are making wrong decisions even at the point of their death!!! A 13 year old girl from Mathare slum and four months pregnant died while being rushed to the hospital. Her mother wept painfully by her side calling her name each minute that’s passed by. The ambulance squeezed its self through the lanes in order to get to the hospital on time. How was her mother feeling?? Which thoughts crossed her mind?? Who would she blame because of the suffering her daughter was going through??? YES!! It’s obvious she had unprotected sex unknowingly or knowingly, concealed her pregnancy from every one and secretly tried to terminate it.  Four months and six days ago, the girl was found howling and lying down in their flats’ stairs helplessly and in pain. Her mother’s efforts of rushing her to the hospital bore no fruits.

May be its true you ‘reap what you sow’. But I also agree that ‘A young girl without a mentor is like an explorer without a map’. Maybe she was raped!! Had she had someone to talk to when she immediately had sex, would she have died?  Maybe she lacked the simple information of not having unprotected sex since the society supposes that talking about sex with young people is imprudent. Why did she think of terminating the pregnancy on the fourth month? Young women and girls in such circumstances have different fears and reasons for their actions.

As young people, we are living in an era that’s highly influenced by various factors. Technology for instance, is making different information accessible through phones, laptops e.t.c. But sometimes we find some information astounding or beyond our control. Peer pressure serves as another factor. Most teens would rather blend in what’s ‘Trending’ without reflecting on the consequences of their actions. Different environmental factors also contribute to early pregnancies for example Rape, early marriage, poverty, and relationships.

In the case study above, the girl knew the reason as to why she decided to have an abortion. May be she felt sorry for herself, hated the fact that she had failed in life, didn’t have the courage of facing and breaking the news to her parents or maybe she wanted to use that chance as her turning point. The society has an important and critical role of mentoring each young person. Instead of addressing them as the lost generation, guide them by giving them a sense of direction! The government should also join the package and introduce different ways and ideas of education young people about sexual and reproductive health especially in schools. Last but not least, parents being the most important people in the lives of their children should not avoid speaking about sex with their children.

This will help us STOP per-mature deaths of young girls, reduce early pregnancies and most importantly keep girls informed hence living healthy lives.

Article by 

Edith Mbuvi

Mentoring and Empowerment Camps Alumni

Group of 2013