Monday, June 24, 2013

The Pregnant Teenage S4 Candidate


Imagine the time when you were about to sit for your S4 Exams. All excited about the vacation, then all of a sudden, some guy comes and asks to be your boyfriend well, you look at all your friends around and indeed each of them has a boyfriend, so you take this as a Golden chance at the right time.

This is what happened to my classmate way back in Mengo SS, 2007. Love is all she could think about. This awesome guy she was going to spend her vacation and maybe lifetime with. The next thing she got to know was this outing of the S4 class at the Nabinonya beach. Well, this was a great opportunity to spend time with her boyfriend outside the usual school  routine. What ever happened that Saturday at the beach, only God knows. A month later she realized she was missing her periods. This was a reason to get really worried with cold feet.
She sits down this guy, and tells her she must be pregnant. Before she even completes the story the guy is like, “I’m not responsible”, “Find the dad of that thing, and by the way it was just once”. Well, now the only option left was to tell the mum. Of course soon or later they would know, because she could not afford money for an abortion, and after all its all risky and illegal in Uganda. Well she confronted her mum, all scared, the mum got furious on knowing about the pregnancy. Now this was even more stress being a candidate and registration and Mock exterminations were around the corner.

A girl takes a pregnancy test. Photo by uhaweb.hartford.edu
Now it was time for the dad and the whole world to know. This is the scariest part, as its only second term and there is still a full term to go. Will the dad pay her school fees and requirements? Well her mum approached the dad, and of course this caused a war at home. She was sent away from home as peace talks between dad and mum took place. 3 weeks later she was called back home and the dad had agreed to pay for the remaining term, but from there the dad of the unborn child had to take responsibility. Oh God, she was already missing school, because she had been chased from home for 3 weeks. Now this was really stressing and she would wish she’d commit suicide as this was the cheapest and best option in her mind right now. Well she thought about what happens afterlife, and as a CRE student, she ruled that option out. She had to carry on with the pregnancy until she finished the exams. Now it’s about 3 months to the finals and the belly is growing bigger. There is rumor around school that this girl in S4 is pregnant. Now she can’t even go to the Dining hall or the canteen as everyone looks at her with this face, “Oh My God, She is Pregnant”.
The belly is growing bigger and thank God the school allowed her to complete her papers with the pregnancy.

Its  October and the papers are on. She does and completes them, Thank God. Now we wait for the results and everyone is eager to know, what this pregnant babe got. Oh God, Its bad. She’s one of the 3 people in 3rd grade. Well this is surprising for a middle student to end up in 3rd grade.
The last time I heard, we were in S5, and she wasn’t schooling any more, so sad. She was working in a small retail shop at her home village.
Mengo SS, 2007 S4 North Class

These stories happen almost each year in Uganda, but from the initial handling of the parents at home, they end up affecting these young people’s lives for a very long time. This girl could have been given a chance to continue school, because hey, mistakes are human, and we all deserve a second chance.
There should also be more parent - child friendship, as it gives chance to the children to hear about such things and protect themselves from them. Government should also encourage schools to let pregnant students continue with school until they can co to deliver. I mean, we all grow up to give birth, some to it early and others do it late.
We don’t need to point fingers.
Based on a true story, from Mengo SS S4 2007.
Note: Events occurrence is not accurate.

1 comment:

  1. Let all girls continue school, they are humans carrying other humans, not monster, academic progress cant be cut short by such!

    Also boys ought to know, don't have sex if you're not ready for outcomes!

    ReplyDelete