FIRST LADY Monica Geingos on Friday held a discussion on teenage pregnancy with nearly 2 000 pupils at Otjiwarongo as she launched the #Be Free Campaign for the Otjozondjupa region.
The #Be Free Campaign is a platform created for young people aged between 15 and 24 to speak about their social and life challenges. It is an initiative of the First Lady's office, and with the addition of Otjiwarongo on Friday, it has been taken to all 14 regions of the country.
After being launched in the various regions, the campaign is now expected to be continued by individual regions led by either the Namibian Police, ministries of health, gender equality and child welfare, or education.
Otjiwarongo's launch took place at the Swanevelder Community Hall, where Geingos told pupils of the Paresis Senior Secondary School, Otjiwarongo SSS, Monica Geingos Junior Secondary School and Donatus SSS that it bothered her to see girls being pregnant while still in school.
"I am disturbed. It disturbs me to see a schoolchild bringing in a life of another child in the world," she said, urging pupils not to be forced to produce babies, and instead to take their education as key to a bright future. Geingos said in the old days, parents produced about 10 children because they had a poor primary healthcare system which did not guarantee their 10 children's survival, noting that there was a high mortality rate those days.
"Our parents also wanted many children to help them work in the fields during farming seasons," she added.
According to Geingos, many children were also seen as pension or social welfare guarantee to parents when they get old - "which is not the case anymore because there is monetary pension pay-outs from the government for every pensioner now".
The schoolboys and girls queued up to ask Geingos questions.
Some pupils asked her to define freedom, to which she said freedom is total psychological, financial and emotional joy and peace with oneself.
The pupils also asked her what the government is doing in connection with learners, under-aged and above 18, who consume alcohol at bars.
A panel discussion, debate and drama also took place on alcohol and drug abuse, gender-based violence, poverty, HIV-AIDS and lack of parental involvement.
- Nampa
