A Counsellor’s Heart-Breaking Encounter in Zambezi
In the quiet corridors of a health facility in Zambezi, a counsellor recalls one of the most emotional experiences of his career counselling a 12- year -old girl who had just undergone a caesarean section.
The young girl, frail and visibly frightened, lay silently on the hospital bed, still trying to understand what had happened to her life. While other children her age spend their days in classrooms and playgrounds, she was recovering from major surgery and facing the overwhelming responsibility of motherhood.
According to the counsellor, the encounter was deeply painful and difficult to process emotionally. “She was still a child herself,” the counsellor shared. “Looking at her after the operation, scared and confused, broke my heart. At that moment, I was not just counselling a mother, I was comforting a child.”
The counsellor explained that cases of adolescent pregnancies continue to affect many young girls in rural communities, often cutting short their education, exposing them to health complications, and affecting their emotional wellbeing. He emphasized that young girls who experience early pregnancies require not only medical attention but also psychosocial support, protection, and continued community care.
He further called on parents, community leaders, schools, and stakeholders to strengthen efforts in protecting children from early pregnancies and child marriages. “No child should have to go through such pain at such a young age,” he said.
The experience remains a painful reminder of the urgent need to continue raising awareness on adolescent health, child protection, and access to services for vulnerable children in communities like Zambezi.