Tunatazama - Community Monitors

TEENAGE PREGNANCY FOLLOW UP

Manare Monene

Name :Manare Monene
Marapong Location
Lephalale Municipality
Limpopo Province
25 July 2022

Teenage pregnancy follow up

Teenage pregnancies has been an alarming problem lately yet still our youth have been ignorant of the issue
Well ,not everyone have been affected but mostly because they have financial support and emotional support from their Parents or Guardians ,that makes it easy for them to judge others but when reality kicks in it’s something else .
In my research I’ve interviewed two teenagers and this is their response .
Firstly lebogang Mathaboge’s Journey of her pregnancy
The experience with my pregnancy. I found out I was pregnant and got the courage to inform my parents but they were disappointed ,and their attitude towards me changed . That’s where it started to affect me emotionally ,thankfully I got help from the school’s social services (social worker) they support kids that needs help. Luckily I didn’t have any stress, anxiety, depression or financial issues . I was still getting my usual pocket money which I spent to feed my cravings for months .Once I gave birth my parents took over the financial responsibility from that day till today, they grown to love my child and we are the happy than family.

Second interview: Tshiamo Mokgoshi
“Teenage pregnancy is the biggest and intense obstacle one can face especially when considering how cost of living has went sky rocking because I think it’s almost every individual’s dream that they bring a human being into the world where the baby won’t have the same upbringing of the parent I had. “my child should have what I couldn’t have”. So the effects include the psychologically part because teenage years is a stage where a person is still considered a “child” transforming into an adult and as a child I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle with school work and my social life including how to contribute at home with chores. So bringing a baby into the whole mix makes life extremely complicated because now I don’t have to only care for myself I have another person to think of which becomes overwhelming most of the time because your mind is not fully stable to have such a responsibility. Another obvious issue includes money. Where is all the money going to come from for the baby’s needs? Now I have the burden my family who already have a lot on their plate to assist me with taking care of the child. Now I have to quit school in order to find work , now the problem is where and how to do it is a big challenge due to qualifications. So teenage pregnancy is a pandemic. If there and there are ways to halt it but somehow there are always protruding issues that makes it thrive.”

The conclusion based on the interviews is that teenage pregnancy is a problem to the entire society brought in by influx of men seeking employment at Mega projects in Lephalale . As the result of man leaving their partners at their areas or homes and resulting to becoming blessers to young girls, since it largely caused by factors in the society, it is the obligation of every member of the society including religious leaders that should protect and guide parents, teachers, and teenagers themselves to participate in addressing the issue.