Aisha (pseudonym) resides in a coastal town in the north of Senegal with her many siblings. At 19 years old, she spends a lot of time scrolling through the internet or at school. Her future path is unknown as she’s finishing up her final year of school and weighing her options– but even getting to this point of her education is an experience she knows many of her peers don’t get.
It’s hard for teenage girls in Senegal to access sexual and reproductive healthcare. Many are scared of being judged because of a popular belief that only married women should use contraception.
Young people struggle to find the right information, and often don’t know who to turn to for help. And so, teenage girls can fall pregnant and be robbed of their education. Aisha explains:
“At school, we often see girls become pregnant. Usually they don’t come back, because if they keep the baby, they often won’t have the means. Sometimes the father rejects the child, or you are kicked out of your home, so you’re obliged to look for work to meet your needs and those of your child.”
Aisha was one of these young women who “didn’t know anything at all – I asked but no one told me anything”. Until MSI visited her school.
MSI Senegal works with schools to make young people aware of their reproductive choices. They also offer contraceptive services to help students avoid a pregnancy they don’t want, so they can continue their education.
Aisha decided to jump at the opportunity.
“I was a bit scared because I didn’t want to be judged, but the people here really helped me. They welcomed me and reassured me.
The experience I had really helped me. It’s thanks to MSI that I was able to continue my education. I am now in my final year.”
She chose to receive a contraceptive implant so she could keep learning and working towards her future – one that is wide open in front of her, bursting with options.
We have a long path ahead of us before every girl like Aisha has access to a high-quality education and reproductive choice.
MSI is working tirelessly towards a world where every woman and girl has the reproductive choices they need to stay in school and build a future on their own terms.
