The Casa de la Madre y el Niño supports teenage mothers in Colombia

One in five teenagers in Colombia is a mother . Compared to other age groups, adolescents, particularly those under 15 years of age, run a greater risk of complications and death as a result of pregnancy.   

But the risks faced by these minors are not only related to pregnancy; the greater the poverty, the greater the lack of education and opportunities for development. And this means that pregnancy increases their inability to study and work, thereby exacerbating their vulnerability.   

The project Education, Health and Welfare for Teen Pregnancy is intended to benefit young people aged 11 to 18 with violated rights, and their children. At the Casa de la Madre y el Niño they receive specialized health and nutritional assistance for a healthy pregnancy, support in their individual and psychosocial development, and training so that they will have the opportunity to get a job that will allow them to take care of their family by themselves.  

Although most of these mothers drop out of school because of their pregnancy, others have never had the opportunity to study due to a lack of financial resources. They also do not have a sensitive family support network to help them during their pregnancy or in the process of raising their children. The aim of this project is to support them by means of entrepreneurship projects and technical training.   

In their time at the Casa de la Mujer y el Niño, the young women are able to reinforce their life skills, becoming productive, resilient and reorienting their projects.   

In Colombia there is also a humanitarian crisis with a large number of undocumented Venezuelan migrant mothers. This project supports their effective inclusion through schooling and job training strategies.