The Dadaab refugee camp is home to more than two hundred thousand people and majority of them are women and children. Women who are living in Dadaab are facing the challenges of camp life.
The challenges that they face the girls who are not mature include: Early and forced marriages which causes the girl to become pregnant without being physically and psychologically ready to have a child.
This issue has a health effect on girls’ lives and puts their lives at risk during delivering/labor. My name Fartun Ali Abdi is living in the IFO camp. The young girls who are now growing up and getting pregnant at the age of fourteen are not physically ready.
Getting Pregnancy is suitable when the girl is aged between 18 to 19 years. They face many challenges during delivery and pregnancy.
During labor she will face many challenges, because she will undergo surgery and she can be in labor for several days. Then they will say how she became pregnant at a younger age. Throughout the day, the girl goes around to the point and at last she will undergo surgery.
Because this girl is too young to get pregnant and she will face a hard time when delivering and the size of her muscular tube is small and also the head of the baby is big.
I am urging girls, getting early pregnancy is not good, tricking girls is not a good habit. The lady has to be very careful on who she may date.
She will face a hard time when giving birth and also during pregnancy. On the other hand, the society will say when she goes for shopping “look at this young pregnant girl”
It is not good for girls to get pregnant while they are young, they will get a lot of problems. I got married while I was young and my education halted there.
Now I have two mature girls, one is a university student and the other is from two though corona affected them. Pregnant is good when your body matures.
If you marry a man while still young it is not something good so I am urging them to avoid it.
Meanwhile, one of the girls living in Ifo camp had spoken about early pregnancy and she said it will lead unhealthy and have impact on their life and she said,
My name Fatuma Abdullo living in Ifo camp I could urge girls not to lead early pregnancy and be convinced they will get discrimination out of the society like when she comes to the water points, she will be told ‘’look at this young pregnant girl’’.
As a woman they are told what is this young girl that is pregnant so she will be discriminated. I could ask young girls not to be convinced to get married and instead stay at home and continue their learning.
In terms of delivery, she will undergo surgery or bleed or even lead to obstetric fistula. I am urging girls to marry when they are at 20 or 25 and have enough for themselves.
My last call is for agencies to do favor to young girls or be given more training on their education.
My name is Fatuma Ibrahim Abdi. I live at the Ifo refugee camp. I was 14 years old when I got married and I received discrimination from society.
When I go to the places for receiving cards, I will get no respect. I have signed to deliver through surgery until God made it easier for me so I could urge young girls not to get early pregnancy.
Girls should go to school and marry after 20 years. I have encountered many health challenges including bleeding, and it’s a really painful experience. I urge my sisters not to conceive a child until they are developed.
I also urge Mothers to be close to their girls, listen to them and advise them. Personally, a lot has changed for me. I’m 20 and I feel like marrying, before I used to feel shy from men as I cannot face them directly.
I will encourage my sisters that upon reaching 20 years of age they should not immediately think of men and getting pregnant. I have encountered stigmatization from the community and the family. I Would like to also urge you to protect the girl from getting pregnant until they reach 20.
