We’ve been connected to Munsieville since 2008 (that's thirteen years before Root and Branch Change was formed to catch the children that fall through all the existing safety nets) . Throughout that time we have been aware of large numbers of teenager girls who become pregnant and struggle to know how to cope with the situation.
Since the Covid 19 pandemic, the situation has become significantly worse, with a tidal wave of children as young as 13 years having unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. More often than not, this is a result of rape, incest, coercion and poverty-fueled manipulation.
Each of the children in this situation is travelling a road that is terrifying. Often they are rejected by their family. They face an abrupt end of their education and with it, hopes for a better future. The father of their unborn child, who may be a much older man, will deny his responsibility, often issuing threats and placing further guilt on the girl. If they are connected with a church, it is likely that their pastor will judge them, unwilling to see them as a victim of serious abuse.
These children feel totally alone. They feel there is no-one to whom they can turn. Some seek extremely dangerous “back-street” abortions. They may inflict injury on themselves hoping to cause a miscarriage. Often, unable to talk to their family, a pregnant child will run away, giving birth with no help or medical support. All too many newborn babies are abandoned, dead or alive, in drains or on rubbish dumps.
And the child mother remains completely alone, with some taking their own lives because they see no hope.
BOLD NEW SERVICE ABOUT TO LAUNCH
The leaders of Root and Branch Change are united in a firm commitment to the children who are caught up in this crisis. No pregnant child should have to walk this road alone, and we are determined to turn that commitment into a solid response. We are working hard to put everything in place so we can launch a bold new service called "GA O NOSI" (which means "Never Alone" in the local Setswana language) which will open its doors in the heart of Munsieville's sprawling informal "squatter camp" within the next month.
We will confirm details of the three core components of the Ga O Nosi initiative very soon, but will start with by opening the Ga O Nosi Lounge located at Hope Park, an incredible health campus operated by our partner, The Thoughtful Path. The lounge will be a specially created facility serving as a place where children and young people can drop in at any time to be supported by a caring mentor, who will reassure them, roll back their hopelessness and despair, and serve as a gateway to a host of other supportive services.
Please return here, or contact us at info@rootandbranchchange.org for more details. If you would like to become a pioneer supporter of this vital service, please get in touch or click the button below.
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