Claudine, Komera Teen Mother

When she was still an infant, Claudine*’s mother passed away and left her in the care of her aunt, grandmother, and father who suffers from epilepsy. She grew up in the Kayonza district, attending school and helping her family. When she was 17 and in her final year of primary school, her life took a dramatic turn when she gave birth to her son, Patrick*. With a newborn on her hip, she chose not to return to school and to stay at home with him instead.

While Claudine had a normal delivery with no complications, life following her son’s birth was incredibly challenging. The little support she had at home was dependent on who was around and what they were able to provide. This sense of reliance began to make her feel isolated and powerless. She was stressed, lonely, and traumatized – seeing herself and her situation as misfortune. She began to lose hope and become desperate, unsure of how she could raise her child in her current circumstances.

It was during this challenging period that Komera was introduced to Claudine and stepped in to support her and her son. Komera provided sessions on self-confidence, interpersonal skills, communication, and problem solving that helped begin to shift her mentality. In addition, Komera’s Yoga for Teen Mothers program helped her by engaging community-based mentors who worked with teen mothers like her. They met twice a week, worked on setting goals, taking care of Patrick, and planning for the future. Once a week she would participate in yoga with other young mothers to help address anxiety and trauma. With all of these resources, she finally began to believe in herself again! When she started to accept herself, she began to accept those around her as well – opening up more to her family and son.

Two years later, Claudine and her son are doing well. She supports her family, helps with chores at home, and has true self-confidence. With the help of Komera’s lessons, she plans to be a business woman so she can afford Patrick’s school fees and support her family. We look forward to seeing how Komera can support Claudine as she continues to thrive!

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of this family.