Teen mothers from Gakenke and Musanze districts, Northern Province have appealed to people of compassion to support their education so that they are able to seize an opportunity that early pregnancy prevented them from getting.

Umutesi Marie Louise is one of the teen mothers with the dream. At the age of 15 when she was at second year of high education, she saw her chance to pursue education vanishing when she gave birth after defilement.

Her Parents refused to continue providing for her education.

 “My father told me that he would not waste his money paying for my education. He said I had become a prostitute,” she recalls.

Her colleagues Benimana Godberthé and Dusabinema Léoncie who experienced the same problem also have the same dream to go back to school.

“We need support to resume studies in a technical school which would give us skills that may help us provide for ourselves,” said Dusabinema.

“We saw the Global Fund/CCM Rwanda support in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention, mental health, saving among others, but this time, we would like to ask them to make further step and support our education.”

The teen mothers have been receiving assistance from Bamporeze organization in partnership with the Global Fund/CCM Rwanda.

 “We appreciate very much this support, but we appeal to The Global Fund/CCM Rwanda to kindly support these teen mothers who wish to go back to school. Their better future matters for all of us,” said the coordinator of Bamporeze in Musanze district.

In the last two years, The Global Fund/CCM Rwanda through Bamporeze supported 150 teen mothers from Gakenke, Musanze and Nyabihu districts.