Empowering Adolescent Girls and Young Mothers

Ndacyayisenga Claudine

Claudine is a mother of two children, aged 7 and 2. She never had the opportunity to know her father and grew up without his presence. Due to financial constraints, Claudine's education was limited to Primary 5. At the age of 17, she gave birth to her first child. The father of the child had promised to marry her but refused to accept the baby, and Claudine does not know his whereabouts.

Initially, Claudine's brother abandoned her when she returned home, but her mother accepted her. However, her mother passed away soon after, leaving Claudine feeling abandoned once again. Interestingly, Claudine's mother also became a teenage mother herself and did not know who Claudine's father was.

Claudine's second pregnancy resulted from a traumatic experience; she was raped by a man who drugged her. He refused to acknowledge the child, further complicating Claudine's life as a single mother.