Day of di African Child: Pregnant girls, young mothers no dey go school - Human Rights Watch
International NGO Human Rights Watch tok say plenty pregnant girls and young mothers no dey go school across Africa because dem no dey let dem.
“Ruhiyyeh,” 17, from di city of Kolda, southern Senegal, carry belle when she dey final year of lower secondary school. Di school principal and a secondary school teacher encourage am to go back to school after delivery, and now he dey get time off when her pikin no dey feel well. Dem tok dis one as dem join pipo around di world to celebrate African Union Day of di African Child. Di 2019 theme dey focus on children's rights and action for Africa. For di report wey dem release to chook eye for di mata, dem say even though say some Africa gofments say dem go ensure say pregnant girls go school, kontris like Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania dey ban dem from gofment schools. Di organisation tok say Africa get di highest pregnancy rates for di world according to di United Nations and di tin dey happun for child marriage, something wey African gofments never fit address wella. Oda reasons dem give na abuse, lack of sex education and no access to family planning. "Plenti girls around Africa don become mama before dem grow up, even di ones wey don enter fight wahala" Elisa Martinez we be children's rights researcher for Human Rights Watch tok. "Many of di young mothers no wan go school because dia schools no want make dem come or dia family no go let dem continue dia education." "I return to school because I bin wan continue my studies, but e nor easy," na so Olivia B., one 24-year-old college student from Kananga, for Congo's Kasai region, wey armed man rape wen she bin dey run afta dem attack her school tok. "Students go dey yab me I no dey comfortable for school ... Dem criticize me… Fear and shame dey catch me... No teacher, professor, or anyone else don chook mouth to helep me. Dem no get any program or anything to support me." Human Rights Watch also see say 27 kontris for Africa no get law wey dey protect education of young girls wey don carry belle or wey be mothers. Dem add say if these young girls no go school, e go lead to hard life, violence and poverty. "Education dey important for all children, especially for di girls wey pregnancy don dabaru dia education," Martinez tok. "All African goment and dia stakeholders gats ensure say pregnant girls and young mama get di support wey dem need to stay for school".