[ti:Kenyan School Helps Teenage Mothers Forced out of Classes] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The Serene Haven private school in central Kenya [00:04.04]is giving teenage mothers and pregnant girls [00:07.64]a second chance to finish their education. [00:12.20]Many of the girls, between the ages of 13 and 19, [00:17.00]were forced out of their local schools. [00:21.20]In a normal year, about 13,000 pregnant girls [00:26.16]are forced to stop going to school, government research shows. [00:32.16]That is likely to increase this year. [00:35.92]Aid groups say COVID-19 restrictions closed schools [00:41.72]and led to an increase in teenage pregnancies and sexual abuse. [00:49.44]Seventeen-year-old Emily said she was assaulted by a man [00:54.40]who had promised to teach her while classes were closed. [00:59.92]She asked not to be identified by her full name to protect her privacy. [01:07.64]Emily is now six months pregnant. [01:11.44]She said her mother would not let her go back to school. [01:16.64]“She was worried ... they would be mean to me or tease me,” she added. [01:22.80]Then Emily met Elizabeth Wanjiru Muriuki. [01:28.12]The former social worker started Serene Haven, [01:32.04]which provides child care and counseling services to the girls. [01:39.24]Serene Haven opened in January when other Kenyan schools reopened. [01:46.44]The young mothers walk through the library [01:49.56]and other school buildings with their babies in their arms. [01:54.36]There is an assistant available when needed, [01:58.28]and the girls can take breaks to feed their children between lessons. [02:05.44]“We only have three babies who are over one year old. [02:09.76]The rest of the babies and the rest of the pregnancies [02:13.88]all happened during the COVID time,” said Muriuki. [02:19.60]Nineteen-year-old mother Josephine Wanjiru has been out of school for two years. [02:27.12]Being at Serene Haven means she might reach her goal of becoming a nurse. [02:34.60]“I was very excited because I did not expect something like this,” said Wanjiru. [02:42.40]Muriuki was a teenage mother herself [02:45.68]and went on to finish school and build a career. [02:51.40]“There are some girls who come here and are really downcast, [02:55.80]they feel like this is the end of the world,” said Muriuki. [03:01.60]“I start with giving them my story ... they are really encouraged [03:06.36]– like ‘Ah, if you can do it, we can also do it.’” [03:11.72]I’m Jonathan Evans. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM