Kisii — Even after giving birth at a tender age, Millicent Nyaramu from Kabondo, Homa Bay County, is among thousands of adolescent mothers who returned to school through the re-entry policy to access education and change their lives and those of their children.
Nyaramu is the firstborn in a family of four. Unfortunately, her father, who was the breadwinner, died, leaving them helpless. Her sickly mother struggled and educated her up to form four.
After completing her form four certificate, she was forced to discontinue her tertiary education and engaged in illicit sex work to feed her family and provide medication for her mother.
"While engaging in premarital sex, I became pregnant with my firstborn. Life became worse since I was forced to sit home to take care of the pregnancy, and when the child was born, I couldn't go back to this business," narrates Nyaramu.
She continues, her close aunt took her away with the baby, promising to find her a better job that would generate some income for her. Instead, she married her off to a drunkard man in her neighborhood, and she got pregnant with her second child.
Life became more difficult. Her husband used to beat her up, and she became a victim of gender-based violence while trying to keep the marriage together until one day when she decided to leave for safety with her kids.
"In 2019, through a Community Health Volunteer (CHV), I was recommended to a social worker who referred me to a dream program ongoing in our ward. I was enrolled into a safe space, where I received various interventions including HDI services," says Nyaramu.
She received mentorship, including protecting herself from contracting HIV and entrepreneur skills. She ventured into the fruit juice business and later enrolled as an optician at Eye Rafiki Institute in Eldoret.
She completed her studies, secured a job at a public health facility, and went a step further by opening her eye clinic shop within her locality.
Homa Bay HIV/AIDS coordinator Steve Oyugi says adolescent mothers are more likely to experience complications such as preeclampsia, eclampsia, anemia, and high blood pressure because their bodies are not yet fully developed to carry the pregnancy.
"We have encountered higher susceptibility to infections such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, due to lack of access to or knowledge about preventive measures among adolescent mothers. This is especially discovered when seeking antenatal care," says Oyugi.
Adolescent mothers across the country face a higher risk of maternal mortality. According to the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), in 2022, an estimated 1,215 AIDS-related deaths occurred among adolescents aged 10-19. More than half (59%) of the new HIV infections in Kenya in 2022 occurred among adolescents aged 10-19 in 10 counties.
Homa Bay County NSDCC Coordinator Caroline Kinoti states that at least 62 adolescents get infected with HIV every week while 12 newborns are born to HIV-positive mothers every day in the county.
In 2023, among the 20,143 reported SGBV cases, only 40% (7,978) were reported within 72 hours to access emergency services. Among the survivors, 1,934 were pregnant four weeks after exposure, and 183 had acquired HIV three months after the sexual exposure.
Kenya remains steadfast in its determination to end AIDS and reduce adolescent pregnancies by 2030. The country has also pledged to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence by 2026.
According to the Ministry of Health, many children are deprived of a fulfilling childhood experience, and the prevalence of child motherhood poses a significant setback in societal progress. In 2023, health facilities attended to 254,753 pregnant girls aged 10-19.
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The ministry indicates that adolescents and young people aged 10-24 years in Kenya constitute 16 million people, accounting for 34% of the total population (KNBS 2019 population census). Kenya is not on course to achieve the targets set for ending AIDS among adolescents and young people as a public health threat by 2030.
"Sexual violence not only violates an individual's rights but also heightens the risk of HIV infection and unintended pregnancies," said the CS.
Kenya launched the triple threat commitment plans to a Transformed Future for Kenya's Adolescents and Young People by 2030.
The country is working towards fully implementing the re-entry policy for adolescent mothers and ensuring they have equal opportunities to access education and build a better future.
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