Mombasa County Women Representative Zam Zam Mohamed has disbursed funds through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) under a program dubbed Second Chance Programme (SCP) to orphans, school dropouts, young mothers, victims of early pregnancies and young drug addicts in the County.
Presiding over the event at Tononoka hall, Mvita Sub County in Mombasa, Mohamed said that they are giving priority to approximately 350 young mothers and school dropouts who for one reason or another failed to complete their studies.
Further, she said that the SCP for the targeted group does not only cater for the school fees but also gives them an avenue to acquire technical skills that will help them to generate revenue for their daily needs.
Mohamed said that the number of teenage mothers rose rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that they have taken measures such as mentorship programs for school girls and their parents leading to a decline in teenage pregnancies.
The Women Rep added that her team had registered around 1000 orphans and students from very vulnerable backgrounds and were working to see how they can assist them to remain in school and enjoy free primary and secondary education.
“We had a 16 per cent increase in early pregnancy cases during the pandemic and this number is gradually going down as of now and we remain positive that with time we will soon zero down and find lasting solutions,” said the Women Rep.
Beneficiaries of the SCP lauded the County Women Representative for coming to their rescue and pulling them out of the clutches of substance abuse.
“I am very grateful for Mama Zam Zam after taking the initiative to rescue us from drug abuse by taking us to rehabilitation centers and finally to schools where we have resumed our education,” said one of the students.
Statistics have shown that during the Covid-19 period, drug abuse in the coastal region grew exponentially. This situation had a ripple effect on a huge section of school-going children who either fell victim or dropped out of school altogether.
Mohamed emphasized that the parents and the community, in general, should take an active role rather than being spectators by forming a competent community for effective collective action toward a drug-free society.
She added that the government is focusing on strengthening the existing policies and regulations regarding matters surrounding drug and substance abuse among the youth.
By Michael Maluta
