The word ‘Pandemic’ is very popular right now and is very trending. Question is, which pandemic? Right now you are thinking of COVID – 19/Corona Virus. But what I want you to do is look past it just a little bit for you to gain perspective of my point or what am about to say. Not that am not acknowledging Covid-19 to be a pandemic that should not be taken seriously. It is serious, people are dying, there are orphans everywhere and a lot of lives have been disrupted. So please, stay indoors and if need there be to outdoors then be safe:
- put on your mask,
- wash your hands/sanitize,
- practice safe distancing.
Let’s help save a life and support our heroes the nurses and doctors by staying indoors and staying safe.
So What Pandemic?
This might not be relatable to first world countries like the United States but if you know of anything, please do share in the comments. In third world countries, especially in East Africa, to be specific in Kenya, there’s another outbreak/pandemic and that is teenage pregnancies. You might not think of it as a serious thing but it is. Teenage pregnancies are still an issue, it’s still happening and it is worsening. It is alarming when you record over 4,000 teenage pregnancies in just one county!! During three months of lockdown, 152, 000Kenyan teenagers have become pregnant! That doesn’t even compare any close to COVID 19 cases reported in the country!
Role of COVID in Teenage Pregnancies Now
The statistics showing the spike of teenage pregnancies makes you wonder which pandemic we should be fighting. If you look at it from another point of view, it means there is no future! The future which is the youths, the girl child, is being messed up right now. Schools are closed as a measure towards the spread of COVID 19 thus saving lives in the process. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to be safe and save lives.
But have you ever thought of the role school plays in third world countries? School keeps the young busy. To some, it is an escape, a place to get some free meals together with education so it does play a big role. Right now school is online and you might think its all good, kids and teenagers are learning and growing their minds. The bitter truth is not everyone has access to that except the well off families or the privileged!
Girls are now more exposed to sexual abuse or some get into it willingly as a source of maybe income to get food as the economy is bad right now. Cases of sexual abuse on teenagers are rising and pregnancies too. Even after things cool down and students get back to school, what percentage of them are going to be in school? Most girls will be left home being mothers at a tender age, missing out on the education they need!
As much as the present is at bay and we are fighting to keep alive, how about the future? The future of the girl child? One pandemic leading to another pandemic that is challenging to curb. Hoping you read this with an open mind to see another perspective of things right now especially in third world countries, what do you think?
Just Food For Thought!
Teenage pregnancy is really worrying.it raises so many questions in society.
Do we still have sex education
These teens are practicing unprotected sex meaning danger of contracting STDs and worse HIV/AIDS
Great article
Yeah, teenage pregnancy is just but the tip of the iceberg. Some even die while in the process of childbirth or the process of abortion as there is no good healthcare right now with COVID 19 as the no.1 priority.
Yes…while we ran away from ‘outside’ to escape the COVID 19 pandemic….we encountered more pandemics in the houses…
1. Hunger pandemic
2. Teenage pregnancy pandemic
3. Gender based violence pandemic
4. Suicide pandemic
This is just to mention afew. The pandemics in our lockdowns have taken or destroyed more lives than the Pandemic (COVID 19) itself.
BIG QUESTION INDEED: What is the real pandemic in Kenya?🤔🤔🤔🤔
Well said. There are pandemics we are facing in our houses and in the lockdown as we fight and ran to escape the COVID 19 pandemic
Thank you to the eye opening ‘other’ pandemic in Kenya. It is startling to find out how many young women got pregnant in such a short period of time. Will schools be reopening in Kenya this Fall? What do the young girls do with their babies after they give birth? Are they given any sort of birth control in Kenya?
I’ve asked a few students and found out school won’t reopen until next year January! It is sad that once they give birth it is kind of like the end of the road for most. They have to stay home and tend to their newborns. Or things just become challenging from then on for even the family members. No one will want to feed an extra mouth because you are barely getting by. The only birth control readily available is condoms but abstaining till you at least finish school would be the better option if you ask me.
I’ve thought about this too. Not pregnancies, but all kinds of abuse that happens in so many homes. School is the sanctuary for so many kids. We know what will happen if we let Covid-19 run free. But we have no idea what consequences the lock downs will have on humans and societies. Only the future can tell. I think we are trading lives and futures.
True. School is a sanctuary for many kids. And what you said about trading lives and future, as unfortunate as this whole situation is I do I agree with you. Let’s hope the trade is fair
Rackim,
It’s sad when there’s rampant abuse. This really is a different pandemic that has been going on for a long time, and especially in Kenya as you mentioned. Education could be part of the solution along with efforts from other citizens and leaders. Thank you for your thoughts!
Yeah , solution is everyone playing their parts and taking this as a serious issue not something to be overlooked.
Hi Rackim,
This is a very important article and actions must be taken. I agree that teenage pregnancies are a huge issue, and actions must be taken. The sexual abuse of these teenage girls is unbelievable and we really need to do something about it. I see advertisements that ask for £3 a month, I have contributed to some of these, but is it enough?
Thank you for sharing such an important post and keep up the great work.
All the best,
Tom
Contributing a monthly to helping them is a great cause. It might help some get back to their feet and have the chance to pursue education again.
Hi!
I have to say you are completely right! Ever since the pandemic, in my opinion, people have forgotten about all the other problems of our society. The virus became the most important thing and now we are not paying attention to things like teenage pregnancies! It is a really worrying subject and it shows that our societies need a better education overall.
Thanks for the info!
I’m just glad you read it with an open mind
Awwww so sad. This topic is just so sad. I pray for all the teenagers and that something good can come out of this pandemic. Thanks for the awareness and hope the kids can get back to school.
There are many different pandemic issues around the globe that is getting too little focus. Teenage Pregnancies are just one of them. I think it is so important not to forget that. The problem often lays with having knowledge and applying the knowledge also on a political level. Sexual abuse is forbidden and should not be tolerated in any country. So there should be a stronger focus on this and other issues like domestic violence and gender equality. Although some countries have come far in working with these problems a lot of work still needs to be done.
Yeah, this is just one of the other pandemics that go unnoticed right now because the focus is on COVID. There are still places where people go hungry every day, children, women. Places where there’s no access of water or if there is you have to walk miles and miles away just to get water that’s not good for human consumption thus leading to things like water-borne diseases.
A lot of sexual abuse does happen to young girls at a tender age and most of the time it’s by the people close to you. This is something that most if not all African countries are very far from tackling this issue in my opinion.
Thanks for the insight. For sure, we are not tackling one pandemic. The responsibility greatly falls on parents and society
That is true. Society and the parents need to work together on this.
Great article that raises awareness to a very serious issue that tends to go unnoticed especially now that covid 19 is the only thing people worry about! i had no idea that this was such a serious issue and that the numbers were so high.
thank you for educating the world on what we should really be worrying about!
Am glad you found this article of substance and educational to you.
Hi, this article made me think twice about some topics I never thought about. It’s not ignorance, it is more that I was not educated about teenage pregnancy. maybe because we don’t have it so much here back home in Serbia. But it is a concern in some other countries.
What caught my attention in your article is what you said about girls becoming pregnant during the Covid-19 crisis and sexual abuse. What do you mean by that? If people are at home and not going out, do you refer to sexxual abuse at home?
I am also wondering when all of the past lifestyles be changed with education. Why we split the world in the first second and third world countries? When some of the first world countries are in a worse condition than the third. I know this is maybe off the topic, but somewhere is not.
Thank you for spreading awareness about what’s going on in some parts of the world. Is there any way we can help?
Unfortunately in most African countries, there’s no lockdown or if there’s it’s not that serious. Just kids staying home and not going to school. In most African countries you don’t get access to everything that easy for you to be on lockdown. You have to go out in search of water. And also food since most people do not have fridges to store and preserve the food. So lockdown isn’t really effective. Sexual abuse can happen in-between homes and when you are out there getting the basic necessities.
Wow! This is actually a call to order and thank you for sharing this post here. Though the covid 19 has actually brought a stand still to the way our life is shaped and activities but definitely has given the rright time to consider the other issues that are pressing and needed urgent attention. I really appreciate all these that you have shared here. Thank you so much for sharing this here
Thank you for being my reader
Thank you so much for sharing with us a wonderful and informative article. The main theme of this article is Fighting The Wrong Pandemic. It is truly incredible that you have illustrated this topic so well in your article. I have learned a lot by reading your article and gained a lot of knowledge about it. Of the points mentioned in your article, I like Role of COVID in Teenage Pregnancies. One danger is not being able to cope and another danger is knocking on the door and that is pregnancy as a teenager. This has happened in our country during the epidemic. Due to which everyone should be careful about this.
Finally, I enjoyed reading your article and so I’d like to share your article in my Facebook group if you are happy with me.
Yes, unfortunately, we are escaping on pandemic only to be trapped with another one. That would be nice of you if you share, thank you. You can share on any platform you want.