Africa Educates Her Campaign - Angola. Season 3. Don't Miss Out! Webisode 7

Our girls back to school campaign is ongoing

Pregnancy related school dropouts have become a matter of public concern in the world today. Schoolgirls who become pregnant have fewer opportunities to complete their education after childbirth and have fewer opportunities for socioeconomic advancement.

Our today's guest is Maria, she will share with us her academic journey.

I dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy.

Hello, My name is Maria Gomes, I'm 21 years old, I'm here to talk about my academic life.

Maria are you studying right now?

No.

When did you stop studying and how old were you at the time?

I stopped studying in the 7th grade in 2017, at the age of 18.

Why did you stop studying?

I stopped studying because I got pregnant. When I discovered the pregnancy I did not stop studying at that moment, I continued with my studies until November 2017, then I dropped out of school because of the pregnancy symptoms.

Are you married to the father of your child?

No. We broke up because he denied the pregnancy

Would you like to go back to school?

Yeah, I'd like to go back to school.

What are the reasons that prevent you from going back to study?

Lack of financial resources. I have no money to pay my tuition.

How has the coronavirus affected you?

I used to work, but after the emergence of the pandemic my boss asked me to stay home. Also things in this period are very expensive and have made life very difficult, we had no way to eat at home, I am not working.

How have you been supporting your son?

My 35-year-old older sister has been helping me with the expenses. In general, I support my son alone without his father's help.

How old is your son?

My son is now 3 years old.

Girls and young women’s access, retention and completion in schools is still of huge concern in Africa. Our continent also has the highest rate of out of school children and adolescents globally. However, girls remain more likely to be permanently excluded from education and at a higher risk of being left behind.

The plight of pregnant schoolgirls in Africa is particularly wrenching. They must either terminate their pregnancy by taking recourse in abortion in order to continue their education, or drop out of school or on their own volition or on pain of threatened official expulsion. When girls drop out of school because of pregnancy, their future socio-economic prospects are significantly reduced and increasing the chances of a poor marriage, unemployment or a low paying job.

 

Don't miss this opportunity to bring girls back to school. Tell us your story!

Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the poverty among women?

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