Achani Campaigns To Fight Early Pregnancies

Kwale Deputy Governor Ms Fatuma Achani has launched a campaign among women to fight early pregnancies in the county through a vigorous sensitisation programme.

Ms Achani said the programme will involve women in all the village units in Kwale County.

The Deputy Governor launched the campaign at the Methodist Church of Kenya hall at Kinango where she hosted the second Women Round Table workshop in Kwale County.

Kwale Deputy Governor Fatuma Achani in Kinango Sub County. Photo: Ali Kipapuro

The first workshop was held in Kinondo ward, Msambweni Sub-County.

The workshop sponsored by UN Women and the Council of Governors (COG) is a women initiative to sensitise them on socio-economic and political opportunities for the woman in society.

"From this gathering, I want you to go back to your respective village units, form committees and arrange programmes where we can visit all schools and talk to the pupils," she said.

She said teenage pregnancies had threatened the education of the girl child necessitating immediate mitigation measures.

"Some of the reasons for this evil is poverty, broken families, single parenting among others. Some of our girls lack even soap and other basics thereby becoming easy prey to men," she said.

She said her campaign will involve economically empowering the parents and girls, such as providing them with life basics.

The initiative comes amidst a national alarm over student pregnancies as manifested during the recent KCPE and KCSE examinations where several girls sat for their papers in maternity wards.

The Women Round Table initiative is being conducted by all female Deputy Governors across the country.

"When you are ready with the committees, inform me and we shall kick off the visits immediately. I am ready," she told the 200 women adding that village, ward and sub-county administrators will also be involved.

She said Governor Salim Mvurya's administration had given education first priority with Sh400 million annually going to bursaries for national school students supporting 3,800 students, more than 1,400 others in universities, more than 40,000 in county schools as well as paying Sh15,000 per polytechnic student.

Source: Kwale GPS