In Sierra Leone, thousands of teenage girls face motherhood alone, often without support or hope. But some find hope.
Through the Dream Girls Program at Aberdeen Women’s Center, one of the main partners of Aminata Maternal Foundation, Novita and other teen mothers learn to overcome the challenges of early motherhood through education, care, vocational training, and postnatal support.
“My mother threw me out onto the streets,” Novita said, an 18-year-old girl who experienced hardships at such a young age. Alone and vulnerable, she met the father of her child, a boy who promised her a better future.
“He said to me, ‘Be patient, one day your life will change.’”
But then tragedy struck when the boy’s father died in a motor accident after finding out she was pregnant. Alone again, she found solace at the Aberdeen Women’s Center.
“When I was five months pregnant, I found myself here. They helped me because I told them I was living on the streets. Here, I found safety,” she shared.
Today, she’s doing her best to build a better life. Her son is now 11 months old. With no money for a party when he turns one the following month, she chooses to pray for him.
“I will just pray for him so that god will give him a long life for me. I’m praying to God to help me achieve my dream and find work. My son cannot suffer,” she said.
At Aberdeen Women’s Center, healing goes beyond shelter. It’s where Novita found laughter, belonging, and sisterhood.
“I love them all. They are like sisters to me. We eat together, sing together, and do so many things together.”
When we support teenage mothers, we open doors for them to realize their dreams to rise strong and be somebody.
