Bringing Young Unwed Moms out of the Shadows (2020 – 2023)
The Headmaster called desperate that there were 50 young mothers languishing in village doorsteps marginalized by an old taboo. Policy had required that he send them home when their pregnancy became known. The most likely future was two more children by different fathers and a lifetime as a field worker at $1.50/day. No agency or church would make a serious intervention. ACSD saw it as a perfect manifestation of our mission.
Four of ACSD’s women advisors, all teachers, invited the girls to meetings to listen to their struggles and gradually hear their hopes. They spent six months encouraging them to set goals and be convinced they could support themselves. All were enrolled in one year vocational training programs: tailoring, hairdressing, shoe-making, and market-selling. They proudly marched through their villages in new uniforms to once again enter classrooms.
The Covid years were very hard and we had to distribute food supplies to them several times. When their training was completed, they found it impossible to find work because of the struggling economy. So, ACSD launched another project to open shops where they could use their skills and compete for business. Half way through that second year, the group leader was married to the father of her child to the thrill of all the girls. The precedent was set: become self-supporting and set standards for relationships and the goals that seemed impossible are achievable.
At two-and-half years, about 30 of the girls were working. Four girls married – each to the father of their child. There were no children born to single moms. All of them were now out of the shadows.