Abortion on rise in Namuwongo slum

There are hundreds of teenagers who are either pregnant or already mothers in Soweto slum in Namuwongo, Kampala. 

Fiida Nasirumbi 55, secretary women affairs says that for years, the slum has been grappling with the problem of teenage mothers. 

It has three zones and Yokka alone has over 5,000 people living in dire and unhygienic conditions. The COVID-19 lockdown worsened the situation.

“We still register cases of underage pregnancies every day. While some deliver and look after their babies, others dump them at the rubbish pits and the leaders’ homes,” she says.

Nasirumbi adds that the rates of abortions and HIV/AIDS are also high among young girls.

She attributes it to poverty, drug abuse and parents’ negligence. 
Some parents don’t care about raising their children in the right way. They give them excessive freedom to do whatever they want.
 
“I recently cautioned a teenager to stop sleeping around but the mother scolded me to mind my own business,” she narrates adding, “The girl dropped out of school in senior four and is now doing prostitution in Kabalagala.” 

Nasirumbi adds that other parents send out their children to pick plastic bottles and scrap to survive. They are as young as six years old.

“I know of a 15-year-old boy who has been fending for his family since he was eight,” she says.

She is quick to add that the recent eviction of vendors from Kampala streets only worsened matters. Many parents, mostly single mothers lost their sources of income. They now depend on their children to put food on the table.

On the lighter side, however, Nasirumbi says some of the girls get bursary opportunities from philanthropists, but they still drop out of school due to the strong pulling factors. Notable of them is poverty, drug addiction and permissiveness. 

“We sensitize them about HIV/AIDS and other diseases and the dangers of depending on their children to survive, but they remain adamant,” she says.

Leaders also work with charity organizations and individuals and organize health camps for the people. 

For example, they recently partnered with Engender Girls’ Mentorship and Total Energies Women Initiative for Communication Exchange (TWICE) and distributed an assortment of basic items to over 300 teenage mothers and children. 

These included clothes, bags, toys, and shoes, among others. The staff and friends collected them.

“Being women and mothers, we are obliged to help teen moms who are underprivileged,” says Caroline Namyalo, TWICE chairperson.

“We have also been partnering with Engender Girls’ Mentorship (EGM) to mentor girls in the slums. We started with Naguru slum but the situation in Soweto is overwhelming,” she adds. 

They plan to start skilling them but focusing on making things the corporates can buy. These include clothes, soap, shampoo, and candles, among others.

“Whatever they make, we shall find a market for it such that they look after their babies,” she asserts.

She says, TWICE has over 150 women. They started by mentoring and empowering each other until recently when they decided to reach out to the vulnerable girls through Engender Girls’ Mentorship. 

“To the career women, let’s get out of our comfort zones and go down to the needy communities,” she says.

Josephine Zhane Omunyidde, the founder of EGM says they implement the ‘Dreams slum project’ for teenage mothers and adolescent girls. 

This was prompted by the high rates of teenage pregnancies, high teenage mother mortality rate and the increasing number of school dropouts. 

It also aims to tackle the increasing spread of HIV/AIDS among teenagers, a high number of children mothering fellow children and domestic violence among those forced into early marriage.

“We have preventive interventions and inspire the girls to achieve their dreams. We also skill the girls to empower them economically,” she adds.