ST KITTS: Australian cricketers visit teenage mothers in St Kitts

Australian cricketers Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds visited teenage mothers in St Kitts on Thursday to offer them their support and the best of luck in the future. Australian cricketers Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds visited teenage mothers at a Women's Training Centre in St Kitts on Thursday (March 23) to offer them their support and the best of luck in the future. Symonds and team-mate Hussey met young women who had fought against the stigma of being young single mothers to return to finish their education. "Being a teenage mother is quite hard for me right now, I'm looking forward to being more comfortable as I go along and parenting support has been very well," said Didaw, a 17 year old. In some schools on St. Kitts and Nevis if a girl fell pregnant in the past they would be forced to leave school as some communities believed if they were allowed to return this would encourage pregnancy among other children. Symonds who has not played since tearing his right bicep muscle in a tri-series match against England last month, was humbled by the visit and told the women he hoped they would achieve great things for themselves and their families in the future. "I am sort of inspired by you girls, it's great to see young women being so strong and I guess showing me an example of what is really possible if you are passionate and put your mind to it, so good luck to you all in the future and may you have very long and happy lives with your family's," he said. The visit by the Australian players is part of a partnership between the International Cricket Council, UN AIDS, UNICEF and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS. Michael Hussey listened attentively to the women and made it clear that the programme had his full support. "I really admire your courage for what you go through and I guess wish you all the best for the future, I think it's a great programme and we are really happy to be here to support it. But the most important thing is as you said, is just to try to be happy yourself and enjoy your life and get out of it what you can. So good luck I guess." The Viola programme was set up by the Women's Training Centre to help these girls cope with being a young mother and student. Founder of the centre, Giselle Roslyn stressed the importance of offering these women a second chance and an opportunity to be able to provide better for themselves and their children. "If a child has been robbed of her opportunity to develop into a full human being then we should not further victimise that young woman by denying her an opportunity to further her education and to be in a position where she can be better equipped to support herself and a child economically." There are currently 19 young mothers in the programme which has produced a doctor and a lawyer. The Caribbean nation has seen young girls having unsafe sex, falling pregnant and risking contracting HIV/AIDS in a scenario that has alarmed international welfare groups.

ITN Source | March 24, 2007

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