By Michael Gwarisa in Chegutu
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, everything came to a standstill as governments worldwide clamped down on services to pave way for the effective management of the disease. Unfortunately, the education sector was also affected, and learning was suspended. This, however, increased the vulnerability of girls from poor backgrounds as many were driven into early marriages to escape from the effects of poverty and hunger that characterised the pandemic period.
One such girl is Theresa Garikai (21), from Katawa Village, from Mhondoro Mubaira, Chegutu District, who in 2020, at age 17, eloped and got into an early marriage with her artisanal miner (Korokoza) boyfriend. A year later, she gave birth to her daughter and the reality of marriage life kicked in. She learnt that not everything is rosy in marriage, especially in an early marriage where the both of you are uneducated and unemployed.
I was supposed to write my Ordinary Levels examinations in 2020. However, I dropped out of school and went to get married,” said Theresa.
After delivering her child in 2021, Theresa took up menial jobs in people’s fields and homes to complement her husband’s inconsistent revenue stream of artisanal mining.
Chegutu and most parts of Mashonaland West are rich in gold deposits and artisanal mining is a popular practice. School dropout rates are high in the district as older men use the lure of money to attract young unsuspecting girls into marriage and sexual relations.
However, artisanal mining is not always rosy as miners can go for several months without making a dime. This can lead to Domestic Violence in the home. For Theresa, the financial struggles in her home would at times trigger conflict and they would constantly fight over the lack of basic amenities in the house. After several months of struggle, Theresa realised she needed to get her life back on track and school was her only way out.
“Last year, I learnt of the Sister to Sister program. This program encouraged me to go back to school. I did not even know that a girl who has a child can actually get readmitted into school. I was determined to find a school that would take me as I am.”
The Sister to Sister program is being implemented by the National AIDS Council (NAC) in various districts across the country. Through “Sista2Sista Clubs,” NAC working with its mentors is providing an environment where an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust between the Club members can be built, giving them a social support network within their own community.
Rejection and Stigma
Even though Theresa had swallowed her pride and shame and ready to get back to school, the road was not easy as she was rejected by some local schools and also faced stigma from her peers in the community.
“I met a mentor, Mrs Thandiwe Musinami at one of the Sister to Sister sessions and she told me that there was nothing to be ashamed of. I went to look for a place at a local school and they rejected me saying I would contaminate other pupils with sexual thoughts since I was now married. I then decided to find a school far from my Village. I went to Rutara Secondary School accompanied by my husband and we met the school head and I got a place,” said Theresa.
Challenges of Being an in-School Adolescent Mother
Getting married at the age of 17 is challenging already. However, being an adolescent mother in school is even more challenging. For Theresa, the conjugal duties back home sometimes would clash with her learning. The long distance to school and domestic chores would also interfere with her studies.
“I would ride 15 kilometers every day to school from my village. The bike would break down at times and I had to walk to and from school. When the child fell sick, I would miss classes taking care of the baby or taking her to the clinic.”
Despite the challenges, Theresa passed her O Levels and obtained five O-level passes. She aims to become a nurse and plans are already underway to ensure she enrolls in Nursing School.
Role of Community In the Reintegration of Adolescent Mothers into School
Communities play a vital role in encouraging and supporting adolescent mothers to return to school even after falling pregnant and becoming underage wives. The shame and disgrace that comes with becoming a mother at such a young age may drive young girls into a life of solitude and isolation. It thus rests upon the community to be the supporting pillar.
Luckily for Theresa, she had a strong support system. Her mother-in-law lent her a bicycle which used to ride to and from school. Her husband was also supportive.
“At first my In-laws were against the idea of me going back to school. However, as time went by they accepted and even started helping me by taking care of the baby while I was at school. They cooked and cleaned and my mother-in-law even gave me her bicycle so that I could ride to and from school,” said Theresa.
In 2020, Zimbabwe passed the Education Amendment Act of 2020 which allowed re-entry of pregnant girls and adolescent mothers to school. However, discrimination and negative attitudes by school officials and other pupils has kept young girls who fell pregnant out of school.
Mrs Loice Mutimbiri, the school head at Rutara Secondary School said she gave Theresa another shot at education because she is passionate about seeing the girl child rise.
“When she came looking for a place, the idea of not enrolling her crossed my mind. I was afraid she would influence other girls badly and lead them astray. She worked hard and I want to thank the National AIDS Council and Sister to Sister for teaching this girl well. She humbled herself and worked very hard just like any normal pupil. Now she has passed and we are happy,” said Mrs Mutimbiri.
Traditional leaders are key in addressing barriers and traditional practices that hinder school girls who drop out of school from pursuing their education.
Mr Norman Kubikwa the Village Head for Walden South said programs such as the Sister to Sister program were crucial in giving vulnerable girls who drop out of school due to early marriages another shot at life.
“Girls in our community face several challenges and poverty at times puts them at greater risk. Young people are engaging in drugs and substance abuse, crime and sex work to survive. I am grateful for a program such as the Sister to Sister, we are now experiencing a decline in the number of girls who get into sex work and those who drop out of school to get married,” said Mr Kubikwa.
Apart from encouraging adolescent mothers to return to school, the Sister to Sister program in Mhondoro Mubaira has also been training girls around life skills and income-generating projects such as baking, hotel and catering, detergent making, welding, and mortician training among others.
Chegutu District has 54 Wards including 29 rural wards. The total population of Chegutu is 334,000 according to the Population and Housing Census data. Approximately 31,000 people in Chegutu district are living with HIV. Of the 31,000 people living with HIV, over 3,000 are children and adolescents below the age of 18.
Virginia Tausa, the District AIDS Coordinator (DAC) for Chegutu District said the HIV prevalence rate in Chegutu is at 13 percent and inter-generational sexual relations are among the biggest drivers of infections.
“The programs that are implemented here in Chegutu are implemented in line with the key drivers of HIV in the district. Here in Mhondoro Mubaira, we have noted that age mixing or inter-generational sexual relations is one of the biggest drivers of HIV in young girls aged 18 and below. The Sister to Sister program is one of the programs we are implementing in this district to try and end these vices,” said Tausa.
She added that the district was also recording new infections due to high risky sexual behaviour and low condom use. She also said the program to reintegrate girls back into school after falling pregnant was not a license to get into marriage early or to engage in risky sexual behavior.
