Mbabala, Zambia is the home to 2,000 people. There are dozens of fishermen, children doing heir chores by the river side.
In Mbabala, there is a rising number of teenage pregnancies, with girls as young as 13 becoming mothers.
Bwalya is a 18 year-old mother, her first born daughter is one of them. The then 14 years old, had been showing pregnancy symptoms but her mother kept on ignoring them out of pain. This pregnancy was not out of rape.
According to UNICEF, in Zambia young women aged 13-19 have started bearing children- either they have given birth or are currently pregnant.
The rate of teenage pregnancies is about 29% and as thus many adolescent girls are out of school.
The high school is far across into the main land and cost $40 to get there. Most of the families in Mbabala can’t afford it, as thus many of the children remain idol most of the time.
In Zambia, according to government figures 54% among the country’s population of 18 million live below the poverty line.
Kendrick Kasabwe, a 50 year old man who lives on the island says to interviewers
“Residents are extremely poor. Apart from pregnancies, STI’s and HIV are very high. Our children are engaging in sexual activities due to poverty and idleness. We only have primary school and once a 13 year old is done, they become idle, ending up engaging in sexual activities'”
He is a father of seven and has campaigned for sex education. “I started by example. I took my 14 year old daughter to the clinic and she was given birth control implants to make sure she doesn’t get pregnant at her young age. We want better lives for our children,”
But access to contraceptive will not stop the teenagers from having sex, education and awareness campaigns are essential.
