Teen pregnancies: The despair of teen mothers in Nyagatare district

By Elias Hakizimana.

When Ingabire ‘Cadeaux’ (name changed as she is still a minor) got pregnant at 16, she was immediately abandoned by her parents who live in Nyagatare district, Matimba sector where her journey of struggles started. 

The teenager  experiencing a sole life with no experience in bearing pregnancy and with no financial capacity to cater for herself until she gave birth to the little boy who is now  7 months old.

Ingabire was coming from school and was trapped by a mature who used to come in the shop in her neighborhood and later disappeared.

“It was in May 2020 when I was coming from school at the evening, he called me and told me he want give me a special gift at home then he closed and forced me for sex, my parents could beat me if I revealed, but three months later they revealed as my health started to show some unusual transformations like vomiting. My parents told me to leave home and go elsewhere.” Ingabire said with pain.

She told The Inspirer that she lost hope of her life as she could not believe there will be another future to shine her dark and unexpected circumstances.

“I started to lose hope of any other life after conceiving a baby, I had no motherhood experience yet and all I could seek support from are my parents who did not also care, instead they abandoned me. I rent an accommodation and I could beg for food and money to survive until I gave birth to this child.” Ingabire says.

She says that she later met other teen mothers with similar obstacles and comforted her.

“Some of colleagues who also gave birth at the same age could give me food and soap. We face various challenges including lack of financial capacity to buy food and sanitary materials.” She says.

Fortunately, Ingabire learnt that there is an organization that advocates for the rights and wellbeing of teen mothers in the area and joined them for some support.

“Lack of financial capacity leads to food insecurity and this affects both me and my child. Today, I am lucky to get the support thanks to Afro Ark organization to support needy teen mothers.” She says, adding that the organization gives them food and hygiene commodities.

Ingabire and her peers with the same issue request for the government support as teen mothers to return to school and help their children to study as well.

As per 2018 statistics by the Ministry of Health, Nyagatare was on top to have a big number of impregnated adolescent girls, accounting to 1,465 followed by Gatsibo with 1,452 impregnated teen mothers. 

These figures pushed other partners for further research where Empower Rwanda organization conducted a survey among adolescent girls aged between 13 and 20 years old and realized that most impregnated teens are of 16 and 18 age categories.

The major causes of such lures are poverty and family conflicts that leads to lack of parental care and guidance.

Juliette Murekatete, the Vice-mayor in charge of social affairs of Nyagatare District said that they will work hand in hand with the parents to rehabilitate abandoned teen mothers and pregnant adolescents in the families to enjoy equal rights and care with other children. 

“All we need to do is to tie partnership with the victims and involve them in the campaigns. Their true testimonies will help us to follow on the issue and give them justice.” She said. 

These victims of teen pregnancies are among other thousands victims whose trend has been increasing in Rwanda.

Despite the measures implemented by the Government of Rwanda to reduce teenage and early pregnancies, research indicates that the rate is in fact increasing.

According to the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, in 2016 alone, there were 17,500 pregnant 16-19 year-old girls.

According to official statistics, 98,347 teenagers gave birth in the last four years in Rwanda, with many dropping out of school to become mothers.

In 2016, there were 17,849 teen pregnancies; in 2017 there was a slight decrease of 17,337, in 2018 this figure increased to 19,832 which means that compared to 2017 and 2018, the number of teenage pregnancies increased by about 2,495.

From January to August 2019, the number of teenage pregnancies was 15,696, which means at least 1,962 pregnant girls per month.

According to these figures, about 23,544 children were born to young mothers in 2019.

Defilement cases have been on trend

Statistics from Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) indicate that child defilement reached 7,480 cases of children aged below 10 and 17 years old between July 2018 and June 2020 (of whom 7, 289 female).

RIB says that from January to August 2021 alone, 3,877 cases of defilement were recorded and are on top of other sexual GBV and child abuse cases.

According to a policy brief by Health Development Initiative (HDI) by age 19, at least 21 percent of girls in Rwanda have begun childbearing.

The increasing rate of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies among young people, it says, is indicative of the lack of access to reproductive health services.

It is reported that 93 percent of adolescent girls who are not using contraceptives have also not discussed family planning at a health care facility or with a health care worker.

According to figures by Rwanda Demographic Health Survey, 13 percent of adolescents without formal education started childbearing compared to only 9 percent of adolescents with primary education and 4 percent of adolescents with secondary education.

These statistics show that vulnerable groups such as those living in rural areas, have limited education and income and encounter greater challenges in accessing reproductive health information and services.

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