PREGNANT AT CAMPUS! The Reality

By Patricia Lamwaka

‘My parents had high hopes when I joined campus and it is with great sorrow that I told them that I was pregnant.’ Mary at Kyambogo got pregnant and her boyfriend like any other scared father-to-be called it quits and bailed. ‘He disappeared faster than a cheetah chasing a gazelle and ignored me like he had never known me…….I went home and told my parents who helped me get a safe abortion and I returned to campus like nothing had happened.’ She counts herself lucky because her parents were accepting and her pregnancy was not publicized and she got a second chance. Some are not as lucky in that they attempt abortions that leave them destroyed or worse still dead and we have all heard the stories.

Rachel at Makerere on the hand makes no secret of the fact that she had her fair share of sexual partners and was promiscuous. ‘I used to tell my partners that if I got pregnant, I would have an abortion and they would pay for it and that is what happened to me.’ She first looked for herbal remedies fearing using the hanger technique because of the high risks.’ I finally resolved to get a chemical method but getting access was hard as the government got strict on abortions but I finally got the drug and the father of the baby gave me the money to purchase.’ She however felt the impact of depression and psychological torture close to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the abortion and was chopping class chronically until she found her refuge in church.

Stella at MUBS decided to keep her baby mostly because the baby daddy was her source of strength and encouragement to keep the baby. ‘It was not easy especially since I have strict parents but they slowly accepted the situation.’ She is among the rising number of campus girls who are keeping their pregnancies to full term as well going ahead to share pictures of baby showers on social media. Keeping babies is what is the trend being chosen in contrast of facing dangers of abortion and mental torture depending on the support of the partners and parents.

Once the initial bomb drops and the dust settles, it’s time to face the consequences which is in the form of campus policies. UCU’s high moral requirements for it’s students have left many biting the bullet and getting an abortion while the few stronger willed ones facing off with the administration who offer only two alternatives, get discontinued or marry the baby daddy. Only the truly in love and those strong armed into it would join in holy matrimony. As for Makerere, if you’re a hall resident, you lose your spot. This is meanwhile having books stress and antenatal classes coupled with pregnancy side effects.

It is not the dummies that get pregnant because some girls actually want to get pregnant and have their babies at campus and sometimes it is the partners who want children. At the end of the day whether accident or intentional, a baby is made and the choices made by the mother for her baby are hers primarily to bear. Unfortunately some who choose to keep their babies lose their babies and we send our deepest condolences to them because they wanted to bring life into the world but the option was taken away from them. Therefore pregnancy at campus is not summarized into a question of whether to keep it or not. There are actually fathers-to-be stepping up to the plate and accepting responsibility in spite of others who abandon and run away.