Top 40 under 40: Nyakato uplifts underprivileged teenage mothers

In 2019, Gloria Nyakato 30, founded Teen Mums’ Voice (TMV) a non-profit organization to help teenage mothers and other vulnerable youths.

Since then, she has reached over 200 beneficiaries in Naguru slums near Kampala, Mbale and Busia.

She works with Engender girl’s mentorship, a partner who also shares the same vision.

“My work entails walking with teenage mothers from the time they find out they are pregnant all through to motherhood,” she says.

She uplifts, mentors and supports underprivileged pregnant girls. Through preventive interventions, she strives to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies by engaging girls who have not yet conceived.

“We engage adolescents in different activities and group discussions, all while reminding them to live responsibly, stay in school and avoid pregnancy,” she explains.

“We have a generation of broken girls who have lost hope. It is silently eating up our society,” Nyakato says. 

She receives a new case of a pregnant teenager every week in Naguru. These are referred to her by the health personnel, local leaders and the teenage girls she supports.

“We avail them with birth kits, antenatal care to prevent complications during and after birth, nutritious foods and clothing,” she says.

 Teenage fathers are also mentored to take responsibility.   

“We also do reconciliation and resettlement for those sent away from home after they conceive,” Nyakato adds.

She also instils in the girls' confidence, motivation, self-esteem and sense of personal responsibility. She develops the teens’ capacity to set goals and take positive action.

“We emphasize abstinence to avoid pregnancy and STDs,” she asserts.

Education background

Nyakato went to St. Kizito Primary School and Katikamu S.D.A SS for her O and A levels before pursuing a bachelor in community psychology from Makerere University.

What makes her tick?

“I have seen teenage mothers change their course of life into responsible and exemplary girls,” Nyakato says. 

She adds that families now send their girls to her for mentorship seeing that TMV is a haven for them considering the environment where they stay. 

“Restoring broken girls is fulfilling enough for me,” she says.

Career journey

Between 2009 and 2015, Nyakato worked as a volunteer mentor at Hope Alive, a non-profit organization that supports children with education and instills in them Christian values. 

She also worked at Sisters of Hope organization before joining the business world.

“Business thrived but deep within, I missed philanthropy. I left and worked as an administrator at Malaika Smile,” she recalls. 

In December 2019 she founded TMV.

  Inspiration

If she is to come back to life as someone else, Nyakato would still choose to be her because she believes that she is uniquely created by God. 

"The gifts and abilities I have are uniquely designed by God for the purpose that He intended for me," she says.

Plans

Nyakato sees TMV spread its wings to all countries in Africa since teenage pregnancies is not only a Ugandan issue but a continental challenge.

Effect of COVID-19 

With the COVID-19 pandemic, numbers of teenage pregnancies overwhelmed us considering that we are still a small organization.

Many girls were not able to access antenatal care because public transport was banned and health workers were also preoccupied with the pandemic. 

Most teenage mothers were unattended to. They did not know how to prepare for their babies; leaving them confused, depressed and frustrated.

We have also seen forced marriages after parents get frustrated due to job loss thus exposing the girls to abusive situations.

Also, our programs were halted because we could no longer meet the girls. 

Many attempted unsafe abortions and those that gave birth did not receive prenatal care during the lockdown. They hurt their babies and others abandoned them.