UNICEF & EU Supported School Reintegration Project Supports Teenage Mothers

Temacusi Mbuyisa (17) is a teenage mother who stays with her elder sister and brother-in-law in Nhlambeni, a semi-urban community in the outskirts of Manzini city. Faced with the unprecedented challenge of falling pregnant while doing her studies at Nhlambeni High School, the Form 5 learner had to make a difficult choice; to quit school or find a way to continue her studies with the pregnancy. Her determination to finish her studies saw her sitting for one of her SGCSE final examination papers one day after successfully giving birth to her daughter, Tibusiso.

Temacusi was identified during a programme visit by UNICEF and Bantwana Initiative to Nhlambeni High School. Upon finding out the pregnancy, Bandile Dvuba, a community mentor at Bantwana Initiative reached out to Mr. Phungwayo to find out if Temacusi can be enrolled to a European Union and UNICEF supported school reintegration project for pregnant girls. Mr. Phungwayo asked Bandile to reach out to her and find out if she would be interested in being part of the project. Temacusi consented to being enrolled on the project where she received psycho-social and learning support.

Temacusi’s resilience can be attributed to a strong support system that was instrumental in ensuring that she receives all the necessary support to continue her studies. This includes her sister, mother, principal, teachers, and classmates. Her sister, Nonhlanhla found out about the pregnancy when she was six months pregnant. She took the initiative to inform their mother about the issue. Upon finding out about the pregnancy, Temacusi’s mother asked her if she was willing to continue going to school. She told her mother that she would continue learning since she was already doing her final year of high school. Her mother was supportive of her decision and proceeded to pay her remaining school fees for the year.

Nonhlanhla further went to the school to inform the headteacher about Temacusi’s pregnancy. According to Temacusi, Mr. Phungwayo, the headteacher was very supportive after being informed about the pregnancy. “He told me to reach out whenever I needed any kind of support…the deputy headteacher, teachers and classmates were all supportive,” explains Temacusi.

Narrating how she had to juggle her studies with the pregnancy, Temacusi recalls how one afternoon, on the 3^{rd of} October, she experienced what felt like birth pangs when she came back from school. Her sister rushed her to The Luke Commission where she was examined by healthcare workers. They told her that it was not labor pains, but they would keep her for the night to monitor the situation.

” They discharged me later the following day, I couldn’t sit for two examination papers that were being written that day”, explains Temacusi.

Her principal had to go to the Examinations Council of Eswatini to report the matter and request that she is allowed to sit for supplementary examinations. The Examinations Council told him that Temacusi needed to get a sick note from the hospital as proof that she was hospitalized. After producing the sick note, the Council gave Temacusi special consideration and allowed her to sit for the missed examinations after the official SGCSE examination dates.

Mr. Phungwayo describes Temacusi as one of the brightest students in the school.

“Upon being alerted about the pregnancy, I asked the teachers to be accommodative and give her the support she needed”, explains Mr. Phungwayo.

He further explained that certain considerations were put in place to mitigate the impact of Temacusi’s pregnancy on her studies. These included allowing her to go home early if she was not feeling well.

About two weeks after missing two of her examination sittings, Temacusi experienced labor pains and was rushed to The Luke Commission. She delivered her baby on the 18^th October 2023. Fortunately, she did not have any examinations on the day. But the following day she had to write her Biology paper. Mr. Phungwayo asked her if she would be able to sit for the paper considering that she had delivered her baby the previous day.

“I told the headteacher that I would be able to write since I had prepared well for the paper.”, explains Temacusi.

Mr. Phungwayo brought the paper to The Luke Commission where Temacusi was still admitted.

“The hospital allocated her a private space where she was able to sit for her examination and I was there with her as an invigilator”, adds Mr. Phungwayo.

After writing the paper in the hospital, Mr. Phungwayo offered to transport Temacusi home since she was ready to be discharged.

She was able to continue and finish her remaining examination papers through continued support from Bantwana Initiative through EU and UNICEF.

“I wouldn’t have been able to cope without all the support I received”, concludes Temacusi.