“When I fell pregnant at 17, it caused a rift between my parents. My father blamed my mother for being negligent in my upbringing.
The future looked really bleak so I didn’t have any hope or plans for the future. I was at a really low point in my life.
I thought about starting sex work to provide for my baby.”
Like Maita, almost a quarter of girls in Zimbabwe become pregnant when they are teenagers*.
This puts them at great risk of poverty, death in childbirth, HIV, child marriage, and turning to sex work to survive.
Shining Star's Teen Mum Programme supports young mothers who are at risk, mentoring them in parenthood…
…while equipping them with credible career options and pathways back into education.
“My mum has gone against the tradition that forces girls into marriage when they get pregnant. She helped me connect with Shining Star.
My favourite thing about coming here is that I get to talk with other girls my age. Through sharing our experiences, I realised that I am not alone and there are other teens like me.
The sessions on parenting taught me how to take good care of my child.
I also learnt about contraceptives and HIV prevention. I share this knowledge with friends and direct them to family planning clinics who can support them.
After attending Shining Star for a while, I was helped to go to college and do a course in Auto Mechanics, and I am now on a job placement.
I now know that men and women are equal, and that I should not be controlled by a man.
I am looking forward to motherhood and the future without any bitterness or fear.”
(*Source: National Assessment on Adolescent Pregnancies in Zimbabwe 2023)