Keeping teenagers busy would keep them from sex, organisation aiming to eliminate teenage pregnancy says

Namibia is officially launching an organisation to combat teenage pregnancy.

The Namibia Teenage Mother-and-Child Organisation will be launched during a boxing event in Windhoek on 5 October.

Spokesperson Toini Nikodemus says the event will raise funds to help eradicate teenage pregnancy and encourage teen mothers to complete their education.

Nikodemus says the non-profit organisation started providing teenage mothers with nappies, sanitary pads and baby formula in 2022.

The organisation also runs a soup kitchen at Havana.

“The main aim of the boxing event is to raise funds to provide children with after-school activities, sport and computer programmes . . . to occupy them so they do not participate in sexual activities,” Nikodemus says.

She says the organisation has helped 92 teenage mothers nationwide with counselling.

“Our aim is to reach every teenager in every corner of Namibia and eradicate teenage pregnancy,” she says.

Eugenia Immanuel (20), an occupational health and safety student at the Namibia Institute of Technology (NIT), says the organisation helped her return to school after she gave birth in 2022.

“The organisation made sure I went back to school after I gave birth, and even helped me apply to NIT.

“They provided me with counselling as I was traumatised after giving birth,” she says.