Since its inception in 2014, a program called “Jielimishe” (“educate yourself” in Swahili) has helped more than 350 young mothers return to school in Kenya. The program was created to address the severe social stigma faced by Kenyan mothers who wish to resume their education after having children. In Kenya, official dropout rates indicate that 60% of all students who begin primary school do not finish secondary school. This rate is higher among women and girls, who face additional obstacles to education such as discrimination and a lack of facilities to manage menstrual cycles. Ninety percent of girls who leave school to have a baby never return to finish their education and many are forced to marry. Research has shown that girls who complete secondary schooling have higher incomes, “fewer unwanted pregnancies and healthier children.” The Jielimishe program is one of several programs in Kenya designed to promote girls’ education and prevent forced and early marriages.
Compiled from: Hezron Ochiel, How Kenya is Getting Teen Moms Back in School, Huffington Post (April 1, 2016).