Table 3 Emerging Themes and illustrative quotes on challenges experienced by caregivers living with adolescents
Domain, underlying dimension and theme | Case Vignettes |
|---|---|
1. Adolescent Pregnancy: Acceptance and Implications | |
(a) Acceptance of the pregnancy | I have been counseled by the school and I have accepted my daughter’s condition Interviewer: Na baba yake? What about the father? Mother: Alikasirika wa kwanza lakini nilimwongelesha na ako sawa kwa sasa. He was angry initially but I have talked to him and he is ok now-15 year old’s mother |
(b) Worries about the birth of the baby | “In case the doctor says the child is healthy, we would like to give him/her to a children’s home or somebody who needs a child so my daughter can go back to school because I cannot raise them” = 15 year olds mother The mistake has already happened so we are going to take care of the child and she goes back to school-15 year old’s mother “I am thinking that when she gives birth, I will take the child to his/her father, leave him/her in their doorstep”- 15 year old’s mother |
(c) Self-Blaming for the circumstances the daughter is in | My daughter is my only girl, I have brought her up in the church, I just do not know what happened. - 15 year old’s mother She is the one I gave birth to when I dropped out of school. Her father and grandmother rejected me until I gave birth to her and she resembled her father so much. I left her with my mother when I got married here in Nairobi. Perhaps my past is catching up with me. I mean would my daughter should go through the same experiences as me if it’s not fate-15 year old’s mother |
2. Attitude of fathers and extended family | |
Possibility of shame, isolation and lack of commitment by fathers within the family | “I do not have a job. I am dependent on my husband. We have 3 children; the last 2 were twins 10 months old. It’s been hard living with her and this pregnancy. I cannot take care of another child. My husband is silent on this matter but I know he is not happy” My mother has returned my burden to me- 15 year old’s mother with reference to the daughter living with her and her step-father as opposed to the grandmother “He was angry initially but I have talked to him and he is ok now”- 15 year old mother |
3. Plans for the future (Responses from Spouse and Mother) | |
(a) Seek economic sustainability(Spouse | Interviewer to spouse:-Umepanga aje? What are your plans? Spouse: Nimeanza hii job ya boda boda juzi, ikikua poa, tutakuwa na pesa za kujitegemea si wenyewe I recently started a boda boda business, if it goes well, we will have money to rely on ourselves- 23 year old spouse |
(b) Seek financial assistance (Mother) | Mama alisema ataomba dada yangu mkubwa mwenye anafanya kazi ya nyumba uko Mombasa kutusaidia My mother said she will ask my sister who is a house help in Mombasa to help us. - 15 year old 9 months pregnant Interviewer: na mwenye anahusika? What about the partner concerned? Mother: Ni mtoto kama yeye. He is also a child like her Interviewer: Na wazazi wake? Munajadiliana? What about the parents, have you had any discussion with them? Mother: Niliandika barua nikapeleka kwao, mama yake alishtuka. Kwa barua, niliwaambia kama mama yake, nitawaeleza vile anaendelea lakini ningependa uongee na kijana yako tuone way forward. Niliandika barua kwa sababu sikutaka kuongea sana juu ya hasira. Mpaka wakati huu, hatujapata feedback. Bwana yangu hataki niwapigie simu. I wrote a letter and took to their home, his mother was also shocked,. In the letter I told them as the mother, I will inform you of her progress, but I would also like you to talk to your son so we all see the way forward. I wrote the letter because I didn’t want to talk too much out of anger. So far I have not got any positive feedback. My husband does not want me to call them. 15 year old’s mother |