New mums in Winfred’s community lack status. This makes it difficult for them to make decisions about their own health or the health of their babies, and means that many young mums don’t seek help when they need it.
When Winfred fell pregnant for the first time, she was still at school. She wanted to continue with her studies, but her parents refused and told her she needed to earn money. Winfred says she was afraid to tell her parents about her pregnancy and when she did, “they changed, and there was no more love again.”
Now, Winfred lives with her grandmother and is training to work as a hairdresser, and told us she uses family planning too. She struggles with the stigma she faces as a young mum in her community, she says “I am unhappy when I meet a group of people laughing, I think they are laughing at me.” Feeling rejected from their local community can make young mums isolated and vulnerable, because they have no one to ask for help and support.
Watch Winfred’s Team Mum video
Happily, Winfred has recently begun a local training programme, funded by Child.org, where she has met other young mums. Learning with other local mums has given Winfred a new perspective on life. She said “I feel free, I feel like I’m my own person. I am happy. I feel like I’m going somewhere with my life, I feel like I can be something in life.”
By providing support networks to new mums in Winfred’s community, Team Mum’s pregnancy support groups will offer peer support to mums who feel judged and isolated. If you’ve ever been saved by the support of your female friends, then please do something amazing for young women like Winfred this week. Donate now. Give before 30 April and your donation will be matched by the UK government.