60 percent of babies born during pandemic mothered by teen mums

The reality is that the majority of these girls were forced to drop out of school and see their lives disrupted and perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

Sentle Windvoel and Bonisile Nyathela are Grade Seven 7 learners at The Love Trust’s Nokuphila Primary School and want to share their advice with their fellow teenage school girls who, like them, face a new chapter in their schooling career.

After they graduate, the next step seems a bit scary as it comes with a lot of unknown challenges and temptations. But both girls agree that having a good education is the best way to shape a career and achieve a bright future.

To navigate the new journey, Sentle plans to observe and keep a diary to reflect on all the challenges she’s overcome to keep her motivated to deal with future obstacles.

Fortunately, during this time of transition from primary to high school, Sentle and Bonisile have each other for support.

When asked what their main three goals were going into high school, Bonisile and Sentle said that they want to first improve their grades and focus on their education.

Secondly, they also want to connect with their peers and learn about each other’s cultures and beliefs.
Thirdly, they want to empower other girls by sharing their knowledge and experiences.

Both young women believe that through education, girls can gain a greater world view and understanding of not just themselves (such as what they want to achieve in life) but the world around them.

Such knowledge will boost their confidence and through self-empowerment, they hope to achieve change that they hope will result in them accessing better choices in life.

According to Bonisile, this is extremely important as girls often end up as targets and victims of gender violence, body shaming and bullying. They believe this breaks down a person’s self-esteem, something that is crippling to the spirit and psyche of a young person.

Through education and empowerment, Bonisile believes young girls can regain their confidence, rediscover their self-worth and appreciated being acknowledged, valued and loved.

“The advice we want to share with other teenage girls who are preparing for high school would be the kind of advice that would help them focus on their schoolwork, listen to teachers at school and their parents at home as well as to focus on their goals and dreams,” Sentle explained.

Bonisile added that it should be the aspiration of every young girl to aim high and stay focused.

“You also need to try and communicate with other learners and build bonds with them. Believe in yourself and hold on to hope,” she added.

The two learners also had their final words of advice to young girls all over South Africa as part of the International Day of the Girl Child commemoration on October 11.

Urging young girls never to allow anyone to underestimate or undermine them, Sentle, said: “It is important that young girls avoid making unsound decisions that will impact negatively on their lives forever. This includes indulging in sexual activities and falling pregnant before marriage.

“I also advise them to be independent in their thinking and to follow their dreams.”

Bonisile’s advice to her peers is to “stay in school” so that you can finish your education and work towards building a career rather than becoming another teenage pregnancy statistic.

“By having a child when you are still a child, means that you will not be able to support your baby because you’ll still be living under your parents’ roof.”

And with teenage pregnancies rife and at the peak, Bonisile warns girls against falling victims to the false promises of boys. “Girls must learn to love themselves and keep their bodies to themselves,” she concluded.