Young Mothers Project
Women for Women!
Care – Education – Shaping the future
Widows build bridges for teenage mothers and their babies
Project goals:
- Empowering young people to take control of their own bodies
- Creating a safe space for girls who have become mothers against their will
- Providing information, building networks, offering support and guidance
- Creating opportunities for a self-determined future
Project description:
Girls in Kenya are strong. They pursue their goals, go to school, want to learn and achieve something – and then suddenly they have a baby.
Although sex education is provided in schools, it remains a taboo subject for many. Many do not know enough about themselves and their bodies. Condoms are available, but girls are considered unseemly for obtaining them, whilst boys often refuse to use them.
Added to this is the fear of defying the norms in a male-dominated society. Financial hardship means that girls are forced to sell their bodies – or their bodies are taken from them.
Prosecution for rape is inadequate, corruption is rife, and the shame is often too great to report the crime to the police.
When support is non-existent:
Instead, many young mothers turn to the counsellors at the Counselling Service with their babies. There, they meet women who listen, understand and offer support.
Teenage mothers face severe stigma. The child’s father has often disappeared – for fear of the consequences. It is not uncommon for these young women to be disowned even by their own families.
Many are forced to drop out of school. This leads to financial hardship and feeling overwhelmed by the demands of looking after a baby.
A place of hope:
Many come initially in the hope of receiving financial support. But what they receive instead goes far beyond that.
Due to the rising number of young mothers, St Monica Village was expanded into a maternity support centre in 2024. Every week, between four and six new young mothers come forward. Since November 2024, young mothers aged between 15 and 18 have been meeting monthly with their babies in the assembly hall of the widows’ cooperative.
Women for women:
“Women for women” is the motto we live by. Each meeting focuses on a different topic, including:
- Caring ofr a baby
- Mental health
- Family planning
- Nutrition
- Nappy-changing techniques
- Sex education & contraception
- Protection agains illness
- Self-determination
- Menstruation
Sustainable support:
Washable nappies and sanitary towels offer a particularly sustainable solution. They eliminate the ongoing costs of disposable products and are manufactured directly at St. Monica Village.
The benefits are numerous:
- Gentler on the skin
- Environmental protection (especially in regions with poor waste disposal)
- Job creation for women
- Income opportunities through the sale of products
Help that makes a difference:
The widows provide practical support for the young mothers.
- Providing premises
- Conducting the seminars
- Workshops with the seamstress (cutting & sewing cloth diapers and sanitary pads)
- Meals for mothers and children during the meetings
Each participant receives free of charge as part of the seminars:
- A washable sanitary pad
- a cloth diaper
The PUL material required for cloth nappies is currently sourced in Germany and processed in Kenya. Second-hand cotton T-shirts are used locally to make the sanitary pads. Frequent washing makes them particularly absorbent.
Donations of cotton T-shirts locally help to reduce material costs and ensure production.
info box:
- monthly meetings
- 4-6 new mothers per week
- Free support & materials