By Okong’o Oduya
Worry has gripped Budalangi region of Busia County as twenty school girls conceived after the august school holidays.
According to Health Officer in charge parental care at Port Victoria hospital Dr. Lawrence Lusaka in a forum that brought together hundreds of youth, parents among other stakeholders in health sector from the region, he noted that 20 pregnancy cases were reported at the hospital involving under aged school girls during the month of August.
“Just imagine 20 pregnancies from this community, where are we going as a community and a nation? AS a health sector we are asking you to think about this issue, or else as a society we are heading nowhere, i am sure that twenty girls who are currently pregnant, will not proceed with their education as smooth as they were before,” He said.
He says that these cases affect mostly the school going girls who are lured into sex by their sex predators. He gave an example of one standard six girl who was impregnated by a 24 year old man affecting her studies.
In an event organized by Kenya for African Women Educationalist (FAWE) Mr. Lusaka raised his fears that if the situation persist the area may not be able to produce scholars in future.
According to the senior nurse in the hospital Dr. Elvina Pepela applauded the work done by the organization for playing the role of sensitizing the community about the importance of educating their children on abstinence from sex.
She noted that the health department within the region cannot handle these cases alone without being helped by other stakeholders such as community.
“We have gathered here to know the reason behind our girls engaging in early sex and how we can address the issue, as a society we cannot sit down and watch our girls deviating from education to early motherhood,” She noted
On her side the coordinator FAWE Busia county Isabella Naibei blamed parents for neglecting their responsibilities of advising and guiding children on matters related to relationships and sex on assumptions that teachers and schools are advising them.
It was noted that there was a need for parents to discuss with their younger ones under their care the importance of sex abstinence for the smooth and better completion of high school level education.
None of the affected parents and guardians were available for interviews about this case, many hide their girls hence making it hard to follow up the cases for justice of the girls.
Parents and guardians of under aged girls in Bunyala East- Budalangi in Busia County have been urged to educate their children the effects of premarital relationships among boys and girls that leads into sex.
The parents need to discuss this with their younger ones under their care the importance of avoiding sex in order to complete their high school education. They have also been asked to educate their children the effects of premarital relationships among young girls and boys which eventually will lead to sex.
“Parents what is wrong with us, we no longer play our role of advising our boys and girls. We have abandoned our children to teacher alone and that is why we see the increase in pregnancy, school dropout, use of drugs among other social injustice behaviour among our children and we are the one to be blamed,” Said Naibei.
