By Vincent Emong
KUMI — Leaders in Kumi District have raised alarm over increasing cases of teenage pregnancies, attributing the trend largely to parental neglect and lack of guidance at home.
Kumi District LC5 Vice Chairperson Samuel Akol said many young girls are being pushed into risky relationships due to lack of basic necessities, which exposes them to early pregnancies.
“In many cases, parents neglect their children. You find a girl child lacking basic needs like clothes, and as a result, some girls as young as 12, 13, or 14 seek support from boyfriends,” Akol said.
He warned that such relationships often end in pregnancy, with many boys failing to take responsibility.
“The end result is pregnancy. These boys may seem supportive at first, but once the girl becomes pregnant, they abandon her. Lives are destroyed over very simple needs,” he added.
Akol urged parents to provide adequately for their children to prevent them from turning to external support.
“Let us provide basic necessities so our children do not look elsewhere. It is very dangerous,” he cautioned.
Speaking during the school holiday period, Akol also called on parents to closely monitor and guide their children, noting that many are currently at home and vulnerable.
“Now that schools have closed, parents must take responsibility to ensure their children remain disciplined and engaged in meaningful activities,” he said.
He expressed concern over the growing trend of young people spending time idly in trading centers instead of participating in productive work at home.
“We cannot allow children to spend entire days in trading centers discussing football while doing nothing productive. We must groom responsible and hardworking individuals,” Akol emphasized.
He stressed that discipline and moral values must begin at home, not in schools.
“Parents often expect schools to instill discipline, yet children spend most of their time at home. The foundation must start with the family,” he noted.
Akol further urged parents to lead by example, arguing that children are more likely to adopt positive behavior when guided by responsible role models.
“If a parent is not exemplary, a child cannot learn good values. We must be the example our children follow,” he said.
He also called on religious leaders to support efforts in promoting discipline and moral values, while maintaining that the primary responsibility for raising responsible children rests with parents.
Leaders say addressing teenage pregnancies will require collective action, but insist that strong parenting remains the most critical solution.
