WAMA and USAID Confirm Partnership for Adolescent Early Pregnancy Prevention- Dar es Salaam, 14 August, 2009

Senior officials of the Wanawake na Maendeleo (WAMA) Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Tanzania confirmed their intent to work in partnership over the next several years in Mtwara Region and elsewhere throughout the country to explore ways to prevent adolescent early pregnancy.

Speaking in her role as Executive Chair of the WAMA Foundation, Her Excellency First Lady Salma Kikwete expressed concern over reported recent increases in drop-outs from secondary schools due to pregnancy. “We are sad to see the investment that a girl has made in her education be lost before she can complete her formal education,” said Mama Kikwete. “We believe that it is important to provide all adolescents with information about family planning and reproductive health, as well as access to supplies and services. But before we do this, we need to understand why these girls are getting into situations where they put themselves at risk of pregnancy. We believe that these are not all bad girls without proper morals. We believe there might be other factors that pressure them into risky situations. WAMA intends to listen to understand the situation, and then address the whole problem and not just a part.”

Speaking for USAID/Tanzania, Mission Director Robert Cunnane said, “We welcome this partnership with WAMA and the desire of the First Lady to continue to champion the cause of vulnerable girls and orphans through this program. We look forward to this opportunity to understand the underlying problems that may contribute to unwanted early pregnancies, and support WAMA and other organizations to address them in a culturally appropriate, sensitive manner.

Participants in the meeting included: Hon. Mama Salma Kikwete, WAMA Chairperson, Mr. Daudi Nasib, WAMA Executive Secretary,Ms. Subira Mgalu, WAMA Director of Finance, Ms. Gloria Minja - WAMA Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr. Winthrop Morgan, WAMA Senior Technical Advisor, Mr. Robert Cunnane, Mission Director (USAID), Mr. Michael Mushi, Family Planning Specialist (USAID),Ms. Laura Skolnik, HIV/AIDS Officer (USAID), Thomas Crubangh, Program Officer(USAID). and Ludovicka Tarimo, Gender Advisor (USAID)

As part of the discussions, USAID pledged support for a national advocacy campaign to prevent adolescent pregnancies, with H.E. Salma Kikwete as champion, and a pilot project in Mtwara spearheaded by WAMA to seek culturally appropriate ways to protect adolescents from unwanted early pregnancies