Nandi parents urged to fight against teenage pregnancies

Parents in Nandi County have been urged to ensure their children don’t fall victim to early pregnancies that lead them to dropping off school.

Speaking during the issuance of Uwezo Fund cheques to youths and women in Nandi County, county Youth and Gender Director Alex Oyuga noted that the early pregnancies witnessed in schools have led to a number of girls dropping out of school in the area.

Mr Oyuga also urged parents to follow up on their children’s whereabouts and discouraged the tendency of girls sleeping away from home saying it has contributed to the high number of teenage pregnancies in the county.

He noted that apart from the students getting pregnant they stand a high chance of contacting sexually transmitted disease such as HIV/AIDS, adding that getting children while in school leads to the girl’s being stigmatised when they go back to school.

“When these girls get pregnant, it means they were engaging in unprotected sex which also exposes them to STDs,” he said.

The youth and women director added that teenage pregnancies contribute to high poverty levels in the area; further urging parents to resist advances of people who try to marry their daughters at an early age.

He emphasised on the need to empower youth in education so that they can grow into responsible young men and women who can help the country achieve vision 2030.

He issued cheques worth Sh7.5 million from Uwezo Fund to more than 50 youth and women groups and people with disabilities in Taachasis Secondary School.