Contextualizing High Teenage Pregnancies and Its Effects on Education in Mt. Elgon Area, Kenya

Abstract

The obstacles to the developmental milestones of young girls in Mount Elgon Sub-County can be seen from the rate at which the girls are dropping out of school due to early pregnancies, early marriages, sexually transmitted diseases, and the stigma associated with them. This study sought to understand the status of, causes, and effects of teenage pregnancy on education in the Mt. Elgon area, Kenya. This was an exploratory qualitative study based on snow bawling and a sample saturation approach. It involved in-depth interviews among twelve (12) affected households including interviews with eight (8) teenage mothers, three (3) teachers, two (2) school principals, and nine (9) local community gatekeepers/leaders. Findings indicate that teenage pregnancy is a rampant and common problem in Mt. Elgon. However, it is more acute in areas that bore the brunt of ethnic conflicts in the region. Teenage pregnancy and early marriages are partly responsible for the low enrolment of girls in schools across Mt. Elgon. According to the respondents, it all started in 1992 with the tribal clashes and subsequent cyclic conflicts with the most notable being the 2006/8 conflict in Mt. Elgon. The conflicts disintegrated and dislocated many families, a factor that compromised the ability of many households to get means of subsistence. After the conflict, the Government responded by constructing settlements for the returnees whose sizes turned out to be very small and non-conducive dwelling units for parents and their adolescent children. Several parents are forced to send their adolescent children to spend the night at neighbours, a factor that exposes such young girls to sexual abuse and early pregnancies. Teenage pregnancy has greatly affected girl child education as those pregnant are often married off early by their parents. The study recommends that efforts be made to address the impacts of the conflicts in Mt. Elgon. Poor parents should be supported by the government to build simple but spacious houses to provide ample sleeping space for their children. Advocacy campaigns promoting the education of girls should be launched. Rescue centres should be established to support teenage mothers in with technical skills and those willing to continue with their formal education are supported to do so.