SUPPORT CENTRE MAREMBO REINTEGRATE 6 TEEN MOTHERS

Our process of rehabilitation consist of receiving and accommodating homeless children, former street children and teen mothers and girls victims of rape and other types of violence committed in the home and on the street.

In this quarter, 19 teen mothers newly admitted in the center, were provided with health checks up and treatment and psychosocial support with their babies. As they had been living on the street, the majority are suffering with HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmission infections, malnutrition and other chronic diseases which we are working hard on to address all these health related issues.

We remain convinced that the street children deserve the same rights as others. This had been highlighted in our program and practices. The street children deserve right to safe home, right to education, right to protected against violence, right to health care, right to be cared about in the community and family, right to feel loved, right to a childhood among others. This is why at Centre Marembo, we tirelessly continued to support these children by empowering them through our various programs and projects basing on five key pillars: Health and wellbeing, Education, Empowerment, Access to justice and social reintegration.

Young people today, especially the victims of violence and street children, face many challenges including teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and gender based violence. These have often affected young people’s potential and momentum. To address this problem, we have been working with our trained youth to raise awareness on health issues among our children and they regularly have health sessions as prevention approach. In the last three months, at least 42.2 % of the prevention and awareness sessions carried out were on sexual and reproductive health, 30.3 % on Family planning and 12.5 % of the séances were covered on nutrition.

Apart from routine works we did to improve the life of children and young women we are accommodating, we could focus as well on their needs in terms of legal process and reparation.

Within this term, we could help four (4) of our beneficiaries to access justice. The teen mothers victims of rape and other types of sexual abuse got justice and their perpetrators held accountable of what they did, as well as providing their babies with civil rights including civil registration.

In order to keep on momentum and providing our beneficiaries with good services, we have reviewed and updated ‘Child Safeguarding policy’. We trained our staff to raise awareness about the policy and how best children rights should be preserved starting with our staff who closely work with the children.

Josiane Story: From street life to culinary school

Josiane is one of the alumni of Centre Marembo who is finishing her studies in culinary school after a long struggle in her earlier life.

She has experienced bitter life at her earlier age when the poor family conditions forced her to street life. It was until when she joined Centre Marembo that she started realise that she can work hard to shape her future.

‘’I could not think something else other than food. Whenever on the street, if you get lunch, you start thinking how and where to find dinner. After joining Centre Marembo, the story and conditions changed. As the food and other basic needs were provided, I started realizing that I can do something beyond by cashing in on the education program. From then, I resumed my primary studies in P3 and now I am finishing my secondary studies in culinary school.’’ Highlighted by Josiane.