My name is Carol Kapandula, and I come from Mutanti village. I am a community-based volunteer in the REPSSI intervention program. The program has been very beneficial, teaching us what we need to do, and I’ve been given the responsibility to educate adolescent young mothers in my village.

Initially, these young mothers didn’t save money, but now they are able to save and take better care of themselves and their households. Before the intervention, many young mothers wasted time at the market, engaging in activities like drinking alcohol. However, after we started having conversations with them, some have even stopped drinking.

Before these lessons were introduced, parents often criticized their children, making them feel they wouldn’t achieve much in life because of their decisions. Through the lessons, parents now have a better understanding, and children are less stressed. When criticized, they used to withdraw and sometimes engage in negative behaviors. Now, caregivers are better able to interact and share their challenges with friends, which prevents them from making harmful decisions. There has been a noticeable change; even the rate of abortions has decreased because pregnancy is now seen as more normal and less stigmatized.

Today, even if a child gets pregnant, they continue to go to school. The community and stakeholders encourage this, understanding the value of education for girls. Men who were previously uninterested in our sessions are now willing to learn what we teach caregivers. Moreover, some young mothers have started small businesses, such as selling fish and chitenge materials. They can now access loans to expand these businesses.

We do face challenges, though. Some parents of the young mothers are not receptive to these lessons, thinking they are a waste of time. We persist because we understand the importance of supporting these young mothers.

The businesses that the young mothers run are still small, and it would be helpful if they could receive support to expand them. As community-based volunteers, we sometimes struggle to reach caregivers in distant places due to a lack of information. We ask REPSSI to continue supporting us, as their support helps us reach more people and make a greater impact.