Alarmed by the statistics on teenage pregnancies in Meru County, social workers Purity Gikunda and Samuel Mukilya founded the Greenlands Empowerment Hub. The charitable institution has opened Greenlands Girls Schools across three counties so far – Meru, Kajiado, and Makueni, and all are solely reserved for teenage mothers and their babies.
Now, Across Kenya
“Our idea is to have 47 teenage mothers’ schools in Kenya because these girls are so many and if each county can manage its own numbers it will be easier for us,” Purity Gikunda said. The newest school in Makueni – it opened last week – hosts 40 teen mothers. Others are slated to be opened in Kilifi and Narok counties. The first school in Kajiado, termed the mother school, hosts 200 teenage mothers, the youngest being 13.
A Unique Support System
Greenlands does not offer typical education. Mother and baby are accepted in said school, with its baby daycare. The arrangement allows young mothers to pursue education without worrying about who takes care of their baby.
The Money and Awareness
The Meru school opened after a professional boxing event of ‘Shujaa wa Mashuja’ that was held in the county in March this year. The event raised funds and awareness on the teen pregnancy crisis in Meru County. Meru, with having the highest numbers in the country of teenage pregnancies, was chosen for the initiative that would offer a second chance for young mothers.
The Collaboration And The Community
The Institution works with the nominated MCA Gacheri Muthuri in counseling girls who may have been at risk of not getting education due to teen pregnancies. Meanwhile, the school is offering multiple vocational courses, food, and beverage, and hair and beauty, for mothers to acquire employable skills. For the younger girls, who may have been in primary school at the onset of their motherhood, they attend a nearby day school and return to the facility in the evening. Greenlands Empowerment Hub to offer education and opportunities, thus teenage mothers are not left behind due to their condition.