School young mothers

1.I want to encourage girls in Elgeiyo Marakwet County  who dropped out after getting pregnant during  COVID lockdown to go back to school.

2.Organizing virtual forums, radio talk shows and school based mentorship on sex education to assist young girls to enroll back to school and support them to learn without challenges.

3. Girls will be educated and empowered, they will earn a living which will promote economic growth in their communities and contribute to Sustainable development goal of poverty eradication.

The problem that I am trying to solve is t provide an opportunity for girls In Elgeiyo Marakwet County who got pregnant and dropped out of school during the pandemic to achieve their potential by acquiring education. According to the Kenya Survey 2020, the COVID 19 lockdown was responsible for a significant number of teen pregnancies in Kenya. During their extended stay at home, the girls were left idle and unattended by their busy parents. It was exacerbated by movement restrictions, which hampered access to emergency contraception.

According to the National Council on Population and Development (NCPD), 20,828 girls aged 10 to 14 became mothers during the pandemic. Although Covid 19 contributed to an increase in teen pregnancies, lack of sex education in schools also contributes to an increase in teen pregnancies.

It is a mentorship and outreach program that encourages young mothers to return to school and advance their learning after obtaining the necessary information. It entails visiting the girls to provide face-to-face mentorship and sensitization via radio in a convenient language.

It will involve collaborating with a local radio station to schedule the sensitization programs on motherhood and schooling. Following the talk show, there will be visits to the girls' villages to meet them and discuss the steps to be taken to ensure that they have access to education.

Sensitization through radio programs and school-based mentoring will enable young mothers to return to school and finish their education. Poverty in marginalized communities exposes girls to risky behaviors like having sex in exchange for money to meet their basic needs. Unfortunately, they are left with the responsibility of caring for the children when they become pregnant and mothers at a young age.

They are involved in the solution's development because through discussions the best ways to support them. The programs will raise sexuality awareness and teach parents how to care for their children while going to school.

Girls in marginalized communities face difficulties gaining access to information that influences their life decisions. They become victims of circumstances such as pregnancy and dropping out of school. This initiative's objective is to mentor girls and provide sex education. First, radio programs will be designed to disseminate educational information to girls. Second, mentorship will be done to girls in their homes and schools.

Following the COVID lockdown, learning has recently resumed in Kenya. When schools reopened, girls in some Elgeiyo Marakwet County schools did not return because they were forced to stay home to care for children born during the pandemic. Teachers are concerned that more girls will drop out of school due to early pregnancy. As a result, the idea of providing mentorship and sensitization was born.

Girls who drop out of school due to early pregnancy are often married off or left languishing in poverty at home. After the radio talk shows, the unique approach of school-based mentorship and follow-up will encourage them to pursue their education.

Girls will get an equal opportunity by accessing quality education. The impact of the solution will be evident in increased enrollment. Having more girls in school will show a positive effect of the initiative.