Female learners at Ariwa Secondary School in Bidibidi refugee settlement, Yumbe district, are struggling to complete their studies due to the absence of dormitories.
This situation has forced students to rent houses within the community, which school authorities say has exposed the female learners to the risk of teenage pregnancy, as some community members take advantage of them.
Records from the school indicate that at least eight girls have dropped out this term due to pregnancy. Meanwhile, 17 teenage mothers have been allowed to return to school, according to the school administrators.
Irene Akajo, the deputy head teacher of Ariwa Secondary School, explains that some landlords and businessmen within the refugee settlement have taken advantage of the situation to impregnate female students, significantly affecting the enrollment of the girl child.
“Renting around has exposed the girls to various risks, including teenage pregnancy, which has negatively impacted their education,” Akajo said.
Stella Yunimgba, the chairperson of the Board of Governors (BOG) of the school, says that renting within the community has deprived the female learners of the social protection that boarding services at the school would offer, exposing them to risks of exploitation, abuse, and teenage pregnancies.
She further appealed to the government and refugee implementing partners to construct dormitories at the school premises to provide secure accommodation for the students.
“In this school, the absence of dormitories means that girls are vulnerable to exploitation and many end up pregnant,” Yunimgba stated.
Ariwa Secondary School, which started in 1996, is a mixed day private institution supported by refugee implementing partners. The school currently has a total enrollment of 1,025 students, including 666 boys and 359 girls.
Mathew Veni Vuyaya, the Yumbe Deputy Resident District Commissioner, urged refugee implementing partners and parents to provide more psychosocial support to strengthen protective factors for their children and adolescents.
“We are getting reports of increasing school dropouts due to pregnancies. More psychosocial support is needed to protect our children,” Vuyaya emphasized.
In 2022, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the health implementing partner, estimated that an average of 1,400 girls are impregnated annually in the Bidibidi settlement in Yumbe district.
