Health
Teenage Pregnancy, Struggles, and Redemption: Gloria’s Story
Child neglect remains one of the most overlooked forms of child abuse, despite its strong link to issues such as drug abuse and addiction, prostitution, and early marriage among children.
Many young people, regardless of whether they come from affluent or underprivileged families, often become delinquents due to a lack of attention and guidance from their parents and guardians
Fifteen-year-old Gloria Mutesi from the Namuwongo slums is no exception to the cases mentioned above.
Mutesi says life was peaceful before her parents separated.
“Before, I used to go to school. I was in Primary Six. But everything changed when our parents split up and Mum remarried. She left us with Dad,” Gloria narrates.
Gloria recalls that by the time her mother left their home, she had a one-year-old sister who would often cry. Her father, a barber, struggled to manage both providing for the family and caring for the baby, so he asked Gloria to take her younger sister to their mother. He also told Gloria to either live with their mother or find another place to stay, as he could not support her and the two boys. He chose to raise the boys and let the girls go.
I took my sister to our mother, and she took her to the village the next day. I couldn’t stay with her either because she was married, so I had to live with my grandmother, who also lives in the slums,” she continues to narrate.
Although Gloria had her grandmother as a guardian, life felt as though she was on her own. Her grandmother suffers from a mental illness, leaving Gloria without supervision or support, exposing her to negative influences and dangerous peer groups.
At just 14, she started smoking drugs, drinking and clubbing. One evening, while watching a movie in a local cinema hall, the young teen stayed up late and could not go back home. Seated next to her was a 16-year-old teen whose survival was working in his brother’s shop. Conversations started between the two; he offered her a place to sleep in exchange for sex, and she agreed.
Sarah Nabwonso meets Gloria at her home
They continued living together and soon, Gloria got pregnant. Despite his young age and limited means, the boy took on the responsibility of caring for her. However, as time passed, they could no longer afford the single room they had been renting. With no other option, they moved into a shared space (single room) with more than eight other juveniles. Gloria often had to sleep under the bed. Her boyfriend was unemployed at the time, but they managed to get by. He now works at a local movie library.
Despite the weight of life’s challenges and her pregnancy, Gloria continued to abuse drugs until Miss Sarah Nabwonso, the Field and Enrollment Officer at Touch The Slum Charity Foundation (TTS), noticed her and decided to intervene.
I personally found Gloria sharing a room with her boyfriend and eight others. She used to sleep under the bed with him, while the rest occupied the remaining space. Sometimes, she would go days without eating, even while pregnant,” Sarah said.
One of the key goals of Touch the Slum Charity Foundation is to prevent teenage pregnancy and restore hope to girls who have already fallen victim to it. In line with this mission, Sarah persuaded Gloria to quit drugs and succeeded. The young mother was later enrolled in a hairdressing program, one of the vocational skills the organisation offers to empower youth.
“I want to learn hairdressing so I can contribute and support myself and my child. I know this skill will make a difference in our lives. If given the opportunity, I would love to go back to school,” Gloria concludes.
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