15-year-olds become parents

"Teenage pregnancies are a big problem in Lüderitz. One of the big factors is child-headed households. Many of the factory workers go to the north when they retire, and then they leave the children behind here in the informal settlement. Many times, it is then a teenage girl who has to look after her younger brothers and sisters. There is no power or food in the house and she has to make a plan to get her hands on money, and she does," Lüderitz deputy mayor Brigitte Fredericks said.

About two weeks ago, she went to visit someone in hospital when she came across a teenage mother (15) and her premature baby. The father of the baby is also 15.

"I happen to know the child, her mother and grandmother, and she told me the baby was born at six months and therefore still had to stay in the incubator. When I saw the little thing lying on that dirty blanket, I wanted to cry."

When she got home, she asked a friend to create a Facebook call for help.

"I didn't want to do it under my name because I didn't want to make it a political thing. I just wanted to help the baby."

When Fredericks went back to the hospital, there were two more teenagers giving birth. Now, the donations for the premature baby are shared between the three babies, who are all equally poor and in need.

'Don't judge'

"There are currently three teenagers who have given birth and three more who are pregnant that I know of. There are more teenage girls in the high school that I've heard of, but I'm not in contact with them yet.

"The mothers are all between 15 and 16 years old. They all come from the informal settlements like Area 7 and are very poor. We don't know their circumstances, so people are very quick to condemn them.

“Apart from the girls who have to make a plan to get their hands on money to keep the household going, there are others who are raped by family members. All this contributes to the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy.”

This is why Fredericks started the It Takes a Village to Raise a Child project. Its slogan? “If you cannot help, don't judge.”

Project takes shape

"With the project, I want to interact with schools and talk to teenage girls. I talked to girls in the hospital and they all said their parents don't talk to them about sex. They also do not want to talk to the teachers because they are afraid they will be victimised. I think as an outsider it will be good."

The project will also support young girls through pregnancy and after birth.

"We will also help those who want to go back to school. I have submitted a proposal to the village council - I am looking for a place where the girls can leave their babies in the mornings and pick them up again after school. The ministry of gender equality and child welfare will avail two babysitters."

According to her, the coastal town faces many social problems including drug abuse, especially among boys as young as nine, but her project will focus on teenage pregnancy for the time being.