I Thought I Would Never Back to School After Falling Pregnant – Mary

When Mary Masingo fell pregnant at the age of 15, she dropped out of school while in Grade Eight.

Mary thought her world hand come to an end because of the stigma associated with teenage pregnancy and the shame of dropping out of school. What made her situation worse was that she thought one who had fallen pregnant was never allowed to go back school. She heard from members of her family and the community at large how she would never be allowed to go back to school because she needed to take care her baby.

However, through, the Community Action Groups formed by the Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA) in Chongwe District to raise awareness on the re-entry of girls to school and Ending Child Marriage, Mary had more than a second chance at life and education.

“I was told by several members of the community that I would never return to school. Everyone told me I couldn’t go back to school because of the baby that needed my attention. I was convinced that having a child was the end of the world. I am happy to prove that girls that fall pregnant can return to school in her community,” said Mary.

“I am so happy to prove that it is possible for a girl who falls pregnant to go back to school without feeling bad about the situation” says Mary Masingo.

Falling pregnant and dropping out of school were not the end of her challenges. Upon having her baby, efforts to return to school were frustrated by the lack of funds for school fees and help to take care of her baby when she was attending class. It was after a visit from the CAG that she was told how it was possible to go back to school through a scholarship. Beyond that scholarship, her family was empowered with financial literacy training and start-up funds to generate income to keep her in school.

“You know, after I gave birth, I was really low and discouraged that my time in school was over. The visit by the Community Action Group turned things around for me when they told me a scholarship was available for me to go to school without worrying about paying schools. This was a huge relief for me because my family was also helped with money to get into some business to raise more money for the family” she narrated.

Mary, a beneficiary of NGOCC’s interventions, said going back to school after having a baby was far from her imagination and thanks to FAWEZA, NGOCC and the European Union for the help.

“Thank you very much for what you did in my life and my family. Thank you FAWEZA, NGOCC and EU, please continue the good work” she concluded.

FAWEZA, a member of the Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) was sub-granted through the Basket Fund to implement a project focusing on promoting access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and Information Services for adolescents and young women.

The Basket fund was supported by the European Union (EU).