U Team SL Launches Teenage Pregnancy Campaign In Pujehun District

Young Women Leading Change Innovation Challenge

On 25th January 2025, the U Team SL (United Team Sierra Leone) formerly called the United Team of Pujehun District, commonly known as UN -TEAM Pujehun, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) UNFPA Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sierra Leone (MoYA), has formally launched their teenage pregnancy campaign in Pujehun district. The launching was hosted in Zimmi town, Makpele chiefdom with the theme “Girls Too Challenge”: Abolish Teenage Pregnancy and Create Safe Spaces for Girls (Check the link to know more).

Message From U Team SL, Project Team Lead Khadija Fawundu

In her statement, Khadija Fawundu – the Team Lead representing U Team SL informed the gathering that, the Girls Too Challenge is a special campaign initiated by the U Team SL, with support from UNFPA and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, to help end teenage pregnancy in Pujehun district; through the Young Women Leading Change Innovation Challenge, thereby creating safe spaces for girls, ensuring all boys and girls have the same opportunities in the district. Khadija further explained that, the vision is to protect and promote gender equality as a central element to STOP teenage pregnancy, child marriage, serious sexual offences, violence, gender bias, poverty, dropouts, negative norms and other threats against girls in Pujehun district. She concluded that, the plan also make it clear as a mission that girls and boys should be able to access the same opportunities in the district, irrespective of their gender or location.

U Team SL, Project Team Lead Khadija Fawundu deliberating on the background of the project

Message From U Team SL, Assistant Project Team Lead Zainab Massaquoi

Zainab Massaquoi, Assistant Team Lead of the U Team SL, called on stakeholders and girls to take responsibility in the fight against teenage pregnancy, thereby helping them to realize their full potential in all aspects of development. Zainab explored the benefits of fighting against teenage pregnancy; highlighting opportunities including education, health, justice, environment, decision making processes, economic, politics and any other legitimate opportunity to name many but a few. She ended by calling on the stakeholders, to support the initiative thereby helping to end teenage pregnancy in the district.

U Team SL, Assistant Project Team Lead Zainab Massaquoi employing the benefits of teenage pregnancy campaing to stakeholders and how to address challenges girls are facing in the district.

Conversation With Watta Koroma, U Team SL Project Communication Lead

Facilitating the conversation and formation of girls club / safe spaces for girls, the U Team SL Communications Lead, Watta Koroma stressed on the significance of the girls clubs, which will serve as an important structure to sustain the objective of the teenage pregnancy initiative. She encouraged girls to work together and build their future, avoid sexual interaction and concentrate on their education. Watta concluded by organizing the girls into various girls clubs across the district.

U Team SL, Project Communication Lead Watta Koroma serving as facilitator for the launch campaign

Statement From UN Women’s Chairperson In Pujehun District – Kadiatu Kallon

In her statement, the UN Women’s chairperson in the district, Kadiatu Kallon representing the women, expressed gratitude and appreciated the timely intervention of the teenage pregnancy campaign in that part of the country. She stated that, there are laws instituted to promote and protect girl child development, including the recent Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (2024), which requires collective enforcement to help promote and protect every girl child in society.

UN Women’s chairperson in the district, Kadiatu Kallon making statement

Umu Sowa, a female councilor representing the Pujehun District Council, also reaffirmed similar commitment and called for collective action to end teenage pregnancy in the district.

Statement From The Town Chief Of Zimmi Town, Chief Abdulai Kanneh

On behalf of the Paramount Chief and traditional authorities, the Town Chief of Zimmi town, Chief Abdulai Kanneh also expressed grave concerns on the dangers of teenage pregnancy, and assured the public of their fullest support and contribution, to end teenage pregnancy as traditional authorities.

The Town Chief of Zimmi town, Chief Abdulai Kanneh making contribution on behalf of local authorities to end teenage pregnancy as traditional authorities.

Statement From The Keynote Speaker For The Launch Of Teenage Pregnancy Campaign In Pujehun District – Mohamed Kallon, Chairman Pujehun District Youth Council (PDYC)

In his keynote address, the Chairman of the Pujehun District Youth Council, who also doubles as the Secretary General of the UN Team Pujehun, Mohamed Kallon extended their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to UNFPA and MoYA, for extending funding opportunity to their organization, thereby helping to end teenage pregnancy in the district. Kallon noted that, there is an evidence based situation amongst indigenes of Pujehun district, which projected that the current situation in the district is not only poor, but becoming increasingly costly for both boys and girls. Despite these harsh realities; unlike boys, girls are more expose to vulnerable conditions in the district. Girls are vulnerable to threats like teenage pregnancy, child marriage, serious sexual offenses, violence, gender bias, poverty, dropouts and many other negative norms. He said.

The Keynote Speaker For The Launch Of Teenage Pregnancy Campaign In Pujehun District – Mohamed Kallon, Chairman Pujehun District Youth Council (PDYC)

Keynote Speech Continues…..Referencing The Importance Of Data From Donor Partners

“Referencing the UNFPA Report (2017), Sierra Leone Child Poverty Report ( UNICEF 2017) and the UNDP Report (2020), Pujehun as a district has respectively and repeatedly been ranked as one of the poorest and hot spot districts for teenage pregnant in Sierra Leone”, Kallon stated. Additionally, Kallon informed the gathering that as an indigenous development organization, they have provided a free legal advice service or representation through by providing five full-time lawyers, accompanied by necessary support, to provide free legal advice service to girls who are facing challenges in the areas of teenage pregnancy, rape, child marriage, serious sexual offenses, and other illegal threats in the district.

Concluding Remarks…..

Kallon concluded that, the U Team SL with support from the UNFPA and MoYA, had gained a collective aspiration through the Girls Too Challenge Campaign, with a robust desire of effort and commitment to address the major issues related to teenage pregnancy, child marriage, serious sexual offenses, violence, gender bias, poverty, dropouts, negative norms and other threats against girls in Pujehun district. He therefore called on all young people, women and stakeholders to join forces together in the fight against teenage pregnancy in the district.

Group Photo from the launching of teenage pregnancy campaign in Zimmi Town by the U Team SL

Appreciation Message From Pupils

Given vote of thanks in the end of the session, Mariama T. Bah and Ibrahim Turay pupils of Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School Zimmi, on behalf of their colleagues pupils extended high level of appreciation, and thanked the U Team SL, for hosting teenage pregnancy campaign in the district. They promised to embraced the lessons learnt and later pledged to cascade the outcome of the session.