- Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire said plans are at an advanced stage to ensure the operations of the school begins in August.
- The MP said they are in the process of enrolling the teenage mothers.
Image: ALPHONCE GARI
Image: ALPHONCE GARI
The first-ever school for teenage mothers in Kenya will be opened in Ganze constituency in Kilifi county on August 2 this year.
Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire said plans are at an advanced stage to ensure the operations of the school, which is first of its kind in the country, begins.
Speaking after officially laying the foundation of three classrooms at Madamani, the MP said teenage mothers will be allowed to breastfeed their children during breaks.
“We are optimistic that by August 2 this year we shall open the secondary school for teenage mothers,” he said.
Mwambire said the secondary school will be at Kafuloni area in Sokoke ward, adding that they required some funds to build three other classrooms at the primary school so as to relocate those who had joined the secondary school in the area.
The MP said they are currently enrolling the teenage mothers.
“Some of the teenage mother have already enrolled and will join school once the classes are complete. We will begin with the three classrooms and then put up more as we continue with learning,’’ he said.
Ganze constituency and Kilifi county have had challenges of high cases of teenage pregnancies which have led to increased drop out of girls.
In 2019, Kilifi was in the limelight after recording over 17,000 cases of teenage pregnancy. This prompted the legislator to come up with ways of helping teenage mothers access education even after giving birth.
“It will be the first government secondary school in Kenya for teenage mothers and will allow them to be in school with their children. They will be given a chance during break time to breastfeed them. Other than teen pregnancies, this constituency has a challenge with classrooms and requires over Sh2 billion to ensure all the children have proper learning institutions," he said.
Most of the schools, the MP, said are in a dilapidated state and require rehabilitation and to add more classrooms.
He said they have embarked on a programme to rehabilitate classrooms which are in a dilapidated state in the constituency using the National government constituency development funds.
Mwambire said his vision is to also complete all stalled projects to ensure at the end of his term there are no abandoned projects.
He urged fellow legislators to follow suit and complete projects left behind by their predecessors for the benefit of residents.
Billy Baya a resident of Ganze said the constituency is facing a major challenge of classrooms as there are many pupils but less classrooms.
He appealed to the government to support in the putting up of classrooms in Ganze to ensure children have a conducive environment for learning.
“Government should increase the allocation of NG-CDF funds so that parents can be supported with the development of school infrastructure,” he said.
Celestine Charo a resident, also called on the government to provide more funding for the development of classrooms and desks.
She said some of the children are forced to drop out because of the poor state of classrooms some of which are leaking and in a bad state.
-Edited by SKanyara
Image: ALPHONCE GARI