15 Oct 2012

KENYA / CHILD MOTHERS

A look at UNICEF’s program to assist child mothers living in the world’s most-populated refugee camp. UNICEF

Posted at: October 15, 2012 11:52 am

Duration: 01:57

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: KENYA / CHILD MOTHERS
TRT: 1:57
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SWAHILI / NATS

DATELINE: 17 SEPTEMBER 2012

SHOTLIST:

1. Med shot, "Marie" in silhouette
2. Med shot, row of yellow water buckets with girl and hut in background
3. Close up, small baby in mother's arms
4. Close up, "Marie" in silhouette
5. Close up, poster showing illustrated man and woman
6. Wide shot, refugee camp under sky of clouds
7. Close up, birthing table
8. Med shot, mud & steel structure
9. Wide shot, children running around in front of building
10. Close up, boy playing with plastic building blocks
11. Close up, woman using sewing machine
12. Med shot, woman using sewing machine
13. SOUNDBITE (Swahili) "Marie," age 16: 
"UNICEF and Save The Children have provided us with skills, like tailoring, as well as shoes and school uniforms for our children. We also received lamps so we can read to our children at night. My child comes to the child-friendly space to play, and loves it."
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Kefa Muronga, counsellor, Save the Children UK: 
"I've seen girls who've I've handled, who came in so traumatized, their self esteem so low, and through my interventions, and the group intervention -- I thought, if I bring support from other girls, that within a short time I realized that they are able to see a future in themselves."
15. Wide shot, children playing soccer next to UNICEF tent
16. Med shot, boy playing soccer next to UNICEF tent

STORYLINE:

The 16-year-old girl we'll call Marie is one of the child mothers living in the world's most-populated refugee camp.

Approximately half a million people live in the complex of camps in Dadaab, Kenya. Many of the child mothers are victims of rape. Others, like Marie, never had sex education and were taken advantage of by adult men.

Marie fled to this camp to escape fighting in her native Ethiopia nine years ago, and gave birth last year here in the camp. She's benefitting from a Child Mothers Support Group, run by Save the Children UK, supported by UNICEF.

The young mothers have a child-friendly space for their children to play.

They also receive vocational training in the form of sewing classes, so they can not only make their own clothes, but they have a way to earn cash.

"UNICEF and Save The Children have provided us with skills, like tailoring, as well as shoes and school uniforms for our children," says Marie. "We also received lamps so we can read to our children at night. My child comes to the child-friendly space to play, and loves it."

A key component of the Child Mothers Support Group is counselling, which has given the mothers hope, where before there was none.

Save the Children's Kefa Muronga was instrumental in putting the counselling system in place.

"I've seen girls who've I've handled, who came in so traumatized, their self esteem so low, and through my interventions, and the group intervention -- I thought, if I bring support from other girls, that within a short time I realized that they are able to see a future in themselves," says Muronga.

The programme here in Dadaab has given families like Marie's hope, where before there was none.