Chadashah Teenage Pregnancy Center

In Uganda, the adolescent birth rate stands at 1 birth per 2 women, meaning for every two women who give birth one of those women is between the ages of 15 and 19. There are various contributing factors to this problem, however the most common are low socioeconomic status, limited access to education and a high prevalence of child marriages. These unexpected pregnancies often lead to child abandonment and unsafe abortions which claim the lives of 1,500 women in Uganda annually according to a report by New Vision Uganda. For those girls who decided to keep their child, it is nearly impossible for them to be financially stable due to lack of education or skill.

Chadashah is a Hebrew word meaning “something new”. The Chadashah Teenage Pregnancy Center exists to empower young teenage mothers to take bold steps towards a fresh new start. To date, we have reached over 50 young mothers and their babies through this program. Our goal is that each young girl who completes our program will be enabled to have a sustainable, healthy life with their new babies. We do this through:

• Antenatal Care: Many teenagers do not understand the need or importance of antenatal care. The girls in our program receive daily vitamins and antenatal checkups with professionals. This reduced the likelihood of maternal deaths, birth defects and infant deaths.

• Housing and Meals: Because many of these girls end up staying on the streets or moving from house to house, their health and safety is constantly threatened. These extreme conditions often lead the girls to go through with unsafe abortions or even commit suicide. A stable home and consistent meals reduces the risk or desire to take these severe measures.

• Vocational Training: One of the most common reasons a young mother will abandon her child or place her child up for adoption is the inability to provide for her/him. When one of these girls passes through the Petros Zoe Vocational Institute, we ensure she has the skills and knowledge she needs to start, manage and grow a business to support herself and her new baby.

• Counseling: There is a lot of trauma that comes along with getting pregnant and giving birth to a child at such a fragile age. We have social workers on ground to offer counseling to these young girls to help process the changes occurring in their lives.

• Resettlement: Family dynamics can be complicated after a teenager gives birth. Often the parents of the girl are not willing to welcome her back into their home with the child. Our social workers and community development officers work with the girl and her family to find the safest solution for the girl and her new baby when her time in our program has ended.