INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL 2020- "SHE CAN BE MORE"

The International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated annually on the 11th of October. The main aims of the day are to promote girl’s empowerment and fulfillment of their human rights while also highlighting the challenges that girl all over the world face. This year’s theme is my voice, our equal future.

With the onset Covid-19 pandemic and closure of schools, there has been a silent pandemic: teenage pregnancies. It is unfortunate that most young girls are becoming mothers at a tender age. Teenage pregnancies prevent the girls from completing their primary and secondary school education and this impacts on their future and ultimately life opportunities for girls and socio-economic status of women.

Ruben Centre celebrated the girl child in a classic way as they got an opportunity to express the girl power and beauty through a fashion walk organized by the Advocacy and Networking department. Another focus were the challenges that the girls in Mukuru continues to face.

Irene Njuguna, a celebrated actress in the local TV drama actress Selina, graced the event. She took time to encourage our teenage mothers, young mums and young girls to stay focused on their dreams and future ambitions and avoid distractions that come with the slum environment.

Cate is one of young mothers with two children at the age of twenty-two years. She got her first child at the age of 18. She has been in an abusive marriage and that dimmed the dream of her becoming a nurse. She says life is hard, as she had to quit the abusive marriage and now has to fend for her two children. She has benefited from the Star Girls Program, as she is part of the six young mothers running a fruit vending parlor at Ruben Centre. She says she feels safe while at Ruben Centre. She is part of the young mothers’ dance club and it helps her ease her stress and keep fit through cardio exercises.

“I want to advise you all young girls who are still in school, please focus on your education. You have an opportunity to make or break your future. Life is hard out here. Hustling for my two children, no husband, no parent to support me is not easy. Motherhood is not something you should go through at a young age. It disorients you. You lose hope, you feel overwhelmed and above all you lose a chance to achieve your dreams as a young girl. All I want you to do is to focus on your education,” advised Cate.

Ruben Centre Director assured the girls that they are loved, cared for and the Centre is here to ensure they achieve their dreams and feel safe. It was cheers as all the other girls celebrated the models.

Ruben Centre continues to inform young girls on sex and reproductive health to ensure they make better decisions. The notion in Mukuru slum is that once a teenage girl becomes a mother, it is the end of the road for her. She despairs and loses hope in life. We are out here to ignite the hope and dreams of every young mother in Mukuru. ‘You Can Be More’ is the message. Teenage motherhood is not the end. There is a whole life in front these young girls.

Ruben Centre invites you to support Star Girls Program to see to it that young girls are empowered through education, income generating enterprises, psychological support among other needs.

By: Margret Kariuki 

Edits: GB