The health and well-being of teenage mothers is a crucial need, yet one that is often neglected. Besides dealing with the stigma of being an unmarried, teen mums also have to deal with rejection from their family and society. With no support, they can’t afford medical care. Faced with many obstacles to navigate, showing love and support to them goes a long way in helping them build a healthy and positive path for their lives. It was with this in mind that Cyizere girls decided to organize a medical outreach program for teen mums and their babies from 28th to 30th March 2022.
Ferried in by boats crossing Lake Kivu from Nkombo Island, the teen mums arrived in the nick of time before the rains began to pour. The Medical Outreach program was organized under the Stitching Grace ministry. It targets and supports Teen mothers. Keen to give them a thorough medical checkup, we ensured that the Medical team comprised of a Medical Doctor, a Nutritionist and a Psychiatrist. The medical team is part of a larger team that works at the Nkombo Island Health Centre. This means they can easily do follow up sessions with the Teen mothers and their babies at the Nkombo Island after the medical outreach.
So what did the medical check-up include? Apart from getting the babies examined by the nutritionist, they were also weighed, and their heights measured. Thereafter further consultations were made. The Teen mums and their babies were then directed to the medical doctor and Psychiatrist for consultations.
Outcomes of the medical Outreach
The primary goal of the medical outreach was to examine the general health of teen mothers and their babies. During this exercise, Cyizere girls was also given recommendations on how best to support the Teen mums based on their medical, nutritional and counselling needs. These recommendations revealed the sorry state of the babies some of whom are malnourished and in need of immediate medical attention. In addition to this, many of the mothers were also found to be struggling with coping with their situation due to the pressure from family and the community which is not as forgiving or accepting, thus the need for counselling.
We also incorporated a speech from the doctor who enlightened the teen mums about the general state of their health and made recommendations on how to eat a balanced diet and seek medical assistance at the nearest health facility when the situation calls for it.
Health and wellness cannot be complete without some spiritual aspect. Therefore, the Medical outreach also included a workshop where the teen mothers had devotion and were taught about Christian living. This was important so as to instil hope and spread love-a core value of the Stitching Grace Ministry.
