An investigation into the socio-economic challenges faced by teenage mothers; Case study: Otuboi sub-county Kalaki Kaberamaido district

Abstract

The study was intended to establish the socio-economic challenges, why teenage mothers get pregnant at the early stage and appropriate intervention teenage mothers faced by teenage mothers in Otuboi Sub-County Kalaki County Kaberamaido district. The general objective was to explore the socio economic challenges faced by teenage mothers in Otuboi sub county, Kaberamaido district. The specific objectives were, to find out the reasons why teenage girls get pregnant, to assess the social challenges faced by teenage mothers, to establish the economic challenges faced by teenage mothers, and to give appropriate interventions for curbing teenage mother’s challenges in Otuboi sub-county. The study adopted a cross-sectional design and data were collected from a sample of 64 respondents out of 100 targeted respondents through questionnaire methods. The findings showed that a majority of the respondents were between the age bracket of 12-18 years and this was because most of them would want to venture on sexual activity hence making them not able to handle pregnancies increasing the death rate of teenage mothers. The study revealed early pregnancy has the major hindrance to girl child education, highly caused by peer influence, coupled by diseases such as malaria, lack of access to productive assets like Land, Lack of financial resources, and lack of trust to control resources like income, business, Low education, unemployment and poverty. Sexual abuse like rape, defilement, peer pressure, Exposure to television, love of boyfriends [love for money], and lack of parental sex education, harsh treatment of girls, poverty, and cultural norms among others. Among those who end back to school, payment of fees by their parents, themselves or by their husbands proved to be the main challenge, socially and economically affected the teenage mothers. Majority of the teenage mothers had negative attitude towards early motherhood. The study concludes that majority of the teenage mothers failed to revive their aspirations; they are dedicating most of their efforts on taking care of their children. The study recommends that the government, NGOs, community and families should dedicate efforts toaddress the challenges facing teenage mothers in society.