Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – First Lady Monica Geingos last week joined the ‘Be Free’ conversation at Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School, accompanying Katherine Zappone the Minister of Children and Youth Affairs in Ireland.
During the conversation in which most learners felt inspired, Geingos shared her real-life experiences and related to some of the learners’ stories. Young people in attendance were able to hear first-hand experience of the issues under discussion through personal testimonies shared by survivors of teenage pregnancy, parental absence and self-harm. A teenage mother gave her testimony of how she fell pregnant and the father of her child neglected her and how she finally overcame that situation.
“I could relate my story to a teenage mom who confessed that she fell pregnant at the age of 16, I also gave birth to my first child when I was very young and I have hidden it for seventh month. There wasn’t a thought that didn’t come in my mind, including the thoughts of abortion or suicide. Even the whole First Lady herself have gone through a lot like everybody else,” the First Lady confessed. Beside her confession, Geingos advised young people to be responsible for their lives and not go for relationships they are not ready for because it takes maturity to handle a relationship. An inmate confessed his substance abuse problem, which began “little by little” at a very young age which eventually led to him taking the life of a young man, which he regrets. He encouraged young people to ‘Stop and Think’, as the decisions they make have consequences.
Zappone stated that the ‘Be Free’ conversation platform teaches valuable lessons on how to engage young people.
“This is not a lost generation, let the habit of not taking care of your children or not taking care of your reproductive health, let the feelings of anger and abandonment end here with you. Learn from the mistakes that the generation before you made.
This generation has an opportunity to seek help to deal with the emotional pain from undealt with trauma so that it does not come back,” remarked finally.