New Image, New Hope: All about Teen Mothers trained by MFURA Foundation Organization

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

It is a long journey with mixed life experience in hurdles as Teen Mothers to start motherhood at younger age, being minors of less than 18 years old; they lost hope, but now smile after getting moral and physical support from MFURA Foundation.

MFURA Foundation is a local Non-Government Organization whose headquarters is located in Rwamagana district, Eastern-Rwanda.

The young women (Teen Mothers) who gained support from this organization can now show self-confidence coupled with smiles as they know their future will be brighter after forgetting a tough life of raising children while being also children and through difficult life conditions.

Their current testimonies are different from what they thought would happen after they heard they are pregnant and when they gave birth, at that time, it was not easy to adapt to such an unusual experience at their age. Fortunately, MFURA Foundation helped them to become who they are today through reintegration, counseling and hands-on training in sewing in order to improve their livelihoods.

“One year ago, I heard good news that there is an organization that supports girl children who gave birth, MFURA Foundation helped me to acquire vocational training program in sewing and they shaped and oriented my thoughts, I did not have hope of another good life in my future. I was impregnated at 16 years old. MFURA Foundation helped me and my peers to be in the community and to love our children,” says one of the beneficiaries during the interview with The Inspirer.

“Today I can sew various styles of clothes for both women and men including dresses, skirts, shorts, trousers, shirts, school uniforms and face masks among others. I will soon graduate from MFURA Foundation and with the support of a sewing machine and start-up money they will give me; I plan to start a sewing business to improve my life and my daughter’s. Many thanks to MFURA Foundation” she adds.

Another beneficiary of MFURA Foundation support says that a bad life and stigma started to hit her after being impregnated at 17 years.

Now the mother of a three-year old son has a different story to tell, thanks to MFURA Foundation to become a parent of Teen Mothers.

“I got the information from a Community Health Worker that they are registering vulnerable teen mothers to get helped. MFURA Foundation gave moral and physical support, they built love and hope in my heart because I could not even love my child, through counseling and training, they showed me that my future will be better. I know to sew various styles of clothes and after getting a sewing machine when we graduate next month, it will be a good pathway and start-up to build a successful life of mine and my children.” She says.

Marie Clarisse Mfurayabo, Founder and Country Director of MFURA Foundation explains that there is a significant step towards improving the lives of these teen mothers. She says that 40 teen mothers who are the first beneficiaries will soon graduate.

“Since they came to the MFURA Foundation, they were shy, stigmatized, and unhappy because of many problems inside their hearts, they could not smile anymore. While at MFURA Foundation, we heard from them, counseled them and trained them in sewing. All of them can sew many styles of clothes and their current images show smiles. Each one among them has a target and has set ways to attain it. As MFURA Foundation, we are happy for this achievement, they have a smile in their faces, a will to work, they love themselves and their children, they love their parents although there are still problems in some of their families.” Mfurayabo says.