The Kenyan coast: Teen moms acquire life skills to break poverty cycle

By Velma PAMELA

At a meeting in Ganda on the northern end of Kilifi County where tourism meets the deep-rooted traditions of Kenya’s coastal communities, women carefully made their way into the gathering space.

Their steps were measured and their arms, full. Some carried infants strapped to their backs with colorful fabric, while others walked in clinging to the hands of toddlers. The only sounds were the occasional cough, the shuffling of feet and the gentle murmuring of youngsters.

Everyone took their seats and waited. They were accustomed to waiting. In the past, they had waited for answers, possibilities and for someone to notice them. That day, they hoped something good would come out of the wait.

They were teenage girls still in school, unprepared when motherhood came too soon. In Kilifi, teen mothers face heightened risks of domestic violence, economic dependency and poor access to maternal health care. Pregnancy often means dropping out, losing family support and encountering stigma. Some were abandoned or forced into early marriages, left to navigate motherhood alone. But in the meeting room, there was no shame nor no judgment.

At the front of the crowd, 30-year-old Claudia Dhahabu Kenga watched them settle in. She knew their stories before they spoke. She was once a girl who understood what it meant to rely on the kindness of others and to wonder what future was left when life took an unexpected turn.

“My main focus is on teen mothers, connecting with them, reminding them that they matter, and encouraging them to come forward and seek out these opportunities.”

Kenga supports teenage mothers who have been pushed to the margins of society.

She runs a community-based organization called Pamoja Girls, located in the locality of Ganda. The organization was formalized in December 2020. With the help of volunteers, it provides a safe space for young mothers to express themselves, share their experiences and access guidance without fear of judgment. She drew from her own experience of growing up without consistency to create the program.

Experts say initiatives like Pamoja Girls are critical in breaking cycles of poverty and exclusion.

“According to the Kenya Poverty Report 2022, the overall poverty rate in Kilifi County stands at 61%. The first procedure of designing any form of program is to bring these young people, or the beneficiaries of these teenage pregnancy programs, to understand that getting pregnant as a teenager is a burden,” Akoth Victorine, a gender and social development specialist, explained.

Kenga’s approach is simple, but deliberate: meet young women where they are and give them a way to move forward.

She had long wanted to make a difference. After noticing that Kenga and her siblings had no caretakers, community members took them to a nearby orphanage. For years, she lived on the generosity of benefactors. But she always felt the weight of uncertainty. What would happen when she was old enough to leave?

“People have always helped me. Starting from my education, I was helped by well-wishers. I went through so many challenges throughout my life after the death of my mother in August of 2009. Life in the orphanage was hard, not only for me but for so many other children.”

It was that realization that led her to champion a mission that went beyond aid and promoted real change.

Determined to make a difference, Kenga used the little income she earned from her job at a tours and travel agency in Watamu, Kilifi County, to buy sanitary towels for girls in her village.

“They used to pay me around 28,000 shillings a month. I would spare around 4,000 shillings so I could buy boxes of sanitary towels to give to the girls.”

In May 2019, she began posting about her efforts on social media, which drew attention from across Africa and North America. Donations started coming in, and as more people offered to support her cause, she realized this could grow into something bigger.

She initially named her initiative Dhahabu, taken from her second name, which means “gold” in Swahili. But as it evolved, she renamed it Pamoja Girls to reflect its goal of solidarity and mutual support.

Beyond the safe space, Kenga and her team have visited more than 50 schools to educate young girls about the risks of teenage pregnancy and to advocate for their right to stay in school. She distributes sanitary towels to ensure that lack of basic needs does not become a barrier to their education.

“Before, we used to reach out to schools on how we can access them. But currently, because they have seen the work that we do, they usually request us to go through letters.”

Caren Machu, a guidance counselor, volunteers at Pamoja Girls.

“We visited their schools, spoke with many of them, and realized that, more than anything, they just needed someone to talk to. That’s where we stepped in.”

With the help of ten volunteers, Claudia equips teen mothers with practical skills such as tailoring and computing. These skills help them earn an income and move towards financial independence.

So far, Pamoja Girls has supported more than 10,000 girls in Kilifi and its environs.

For Jackline Pendo, 20, who had her baby at the age of 18 and did not complete high school, the program changed her perspective.

“It is not easy to support a child when you are a child. The baby needs a lot of things like clothes and healthcare, and as the only parent, you have to find a way. I have learned a lot from just sitting with other teen moms like me. I realized that, just like everyone else, I can train and get a decent job to support my son.”

She plans to register for tailoring and computer skills training.

Experts note that men need to be part of breaking the poverty cycles that teen moms go through.

“These girls are not getting pregnant through diffusion. They must be taught in some quite stringent programs that train men on chivalry and tell them that it is important not to get a young girl pregnant,” Victorine said.

For Kenga, the work does not stop here. She is advocating for family reunification, believing that children grow best in homes, not institutions. Having lived through the challenges of institutional care, she wants to see more children placed back with families who can support them.

She works with local communities to encourage safe, structured reintegration, proving that there are alternatives to orphanages when the right support systems are in place.

As the session wrapped up, the young mothers gathered their children, exchanged quiet words with one another before heading out. Their challenges were far from over, but they walked out with more than they came in with: a plan, a connection, a little more hope. And sometimes, that is enough to start something new.