Young Kwale mothers pushed to risky jobs abroad

Tough economic times and lack of support from the government is forcing youths to travel to the Middle East in search of jobs, a human rights defender had said.

The most affected are the victims of gender-based violence, who fly out in search for greener pastures to fend for their young ones.

Network for Adolescents Youth of Africa programme officer Dorcas Mwachi says most young mothers prefer to discontinue their education and fly abroad for better livelihoods. 

She said after the defilement cases are reported in courts, GBV victims don't get enough support and are left alone.

"Many young mothers we talked to said they go to the Arab countries for the sake of their children because they need proper care," she said.

Mwachi said since there are no rescue centres, the victims are forced to share homes with the culprits which compromise the strength of the cases in court.

This is because many teen pregnancy cases are as a result of incest involving close relatives.

Some of the teens are being threatened while others are chased away by family members who accuse them of trying to jail their own blood.

The victims are normally compelled to forgive the perpetrators and rituals are performed to appease the gods as families solve the cases out of court.

The officer said the situation has allowed most of the culprits to walk scot-free.

Mwachi said with less assistance from the government and the rising cost of living, the young mothers have no option but to quit education and travel abroad.

"Life has also become hard for these girls that's why many struggle to survive for their children," she said.

She added that the girls refuse to remain in schools even when offered bursaries because their children have no one to look after them," she said.

Those who give in to threats continue to bear the pain of sexual violation for lacking means.

She made the remarks during the International Women's Day at Kwale Baraza Park in Matuga subcounty last week, Tuesday.

Mwachi said with hard economic constraints teen pregnancies and defilement cases are far from over in the region.

Kwale reported over 9,321 teen pregnancies last year.

It's believed that high poverty level is one of the main reasons for the growing vice.

Most girls are either willingly or forced by parents to date rich people to sustain the family.

Previously, some girls were rescued from forced marriages and sent back to school by Kwale rights organisations.

Majority of the girls had given birth while others were still pregnant. 

Mwachi said with limited help from government, the rights organisations also get overwhelmed.

She said sometimes, the victims require a lot of financial assistance which they cannot provide as an NGO because of low budget.

The officer said the county does not have policies to deal with GBV cases and victims are often taken to private children facilities which are very expensive.

"We have no public rescue centres so we have to rely on private ones," she said.

She is now calling on the government to adopt better policies that will  finance GBV cases, construct and equip rescue centres.

An officer from the Children's department Kivuli Johnson said the cases are reducing following awareness and sensitisation campaigns.

He said they have dropped by approximately 30 per cent.

Johnson said despite the drop parents must report the cases. He said they are waiting for the county gender bill to be approved for more resources to be allocated.

(Edited by Tabnacha O)