By Shaban Omar
Stakeholders in Kwale County have turned to creative art and film as a new strategy to address rising cases of teenage pregnancies and forced child marriages in parts of Lunga-Lunga Sub-County.
The approach is intended to complement existing awareness programmes by using storytelling and creative expression to expose the different forms of abuse affecting children and encourage communities to discuss possible solutions.
Speaking during the launch of the Amka Nawi film at Kibaoni in Lunga-Lunga, Dada Mkubwa programmes coordinator Abigael Ndizi said the production seeks to highlight the daily challenges faced by both girls and boys.
Ndizi said the film is designed to evoke emotions, create awareness and stimulate solution-based discussions among communities, particularly on issues contributing to teenage pregnancies and child marriages.
“The film highlights societal challenges and norms that affect our children and calls for stakeholders to come together to see how we can address these problems,” she said.
She said creative art provides an effective platform for reaching young people and communities in a way that conventional awareness campaigns may not always achieve.
Ndizi said the initiative would also seek ways to protect and empower both girls and boys, enabling them to overcome challenges and pursue their dreams.
Kwale County Director of Youth Kent Simiyu said the initiative would strengthen awareness campaigns against gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices affecting children.
Simiyu said Kwale remains among the counties recording high cases of teenage pregnancies and forced child marriages.
He said the film would help communities challenge outdated traditions and cultural practices that undermine the rights of girls and women.
“Some members of the community are still attached to old cultural practices, including the belief that once a girl reaches adolescence, she should be married. The film seeks to challenge and reverse such beliefs,” he said.
Simiyu urged stakeholders to unite in the fight against abuse of the girl child, safeguard their rights and ensure they have access to education and empowerment opportunities to help them realize their dreams.
Samba Sports Youth Trust CEO Mohamed Mwachausa said the initiative would encourage parents, community leaders and young people to take a more active role in addressing practices that expose children to abuse and early pregnancies.
Mwachausa said many children in Kwale, particularly girls, have been neglected, leaving them vulnerable to various social challenges.
He said such neglect had pushed some children into early marriages, teenage pregnancies and drug abuse, among other harmful practices.
Mwachausa said the film would help change community perceptions towards the girl child and encourage parents to take greater responsibility in raising and protecting their children.
“The film calls for urgency among stakeholders to ensure our children are well protected, supported and catered for,” he said.
Kwale County Chiefs’ chairperson Abdallah Kama admitted that Lunga-Lunga remains one of the most affected areas, with numerous cases of teenage pregnancies and early marriages reported regularly.
Kama attributed the high prevalence of the vices to environmental and socioeconomic factors that continue to expose children to various forms of abuse and exploitation.
“Neglect and high levels of poverty are pushing children to the ocean to engage in fishing activities, where they become vulnerable to sexual predators and recruitment into other harmful activities,” he said.
