Research supports that girls are more vulnerable than boys to the effects of mistreatment and violence. This is often resulting in sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking. In addition, girls have the added risk of early pregnancies, which make education, learning life skills and work more difficult. The number of young, single mothers is increasing.

In Eastern Europe, young mothers who have grown up in institutions often end up in a vicious cycle of institutionalization. Up to 75 percent of these young mothers lose their own children to a life in institutions.

What does Childhood do for young mothers at risk? Many of Childhood’s projects have girls and young mothers as their primary focus. Their needs are many, and Childhood strives to offer the means to build the self-confidence they need to become strong and independant individuals, able to make the right decisions for the future. By helping young mothers, Childhood helps the next generation.

In Germany, Childhood supports the Mother-Child House Jörg Sommerlath. They focus on the development of regular daily routines through the acquisition of practical skills. Most of the young mothers and pregnant girls that are accommodated in the Mother-Child House have little knowledge of basic life skills as proper nutrition, cooking and household management. They often have little or no formal schooling or vocational training. The acquisition of these skills reinforces the development of self-discipline among the girls. Mothers can stay with their babies in their own apartment, or together with a group of other mothers and babies. Mother Child-House Jörg Sommerlath also invites the fathers to come and stay with their families during the weekends.

 

Evaluation of Childhood Moms & Babies programs

In 2008, Childhood hired an outside consulting company to conduct an audit of all Moms & Babies programs. As one of the target groups for Childhood, several significant findings indicated successful models and innovative programs to support a vulnerable groups of recipients in countries such as Thailand, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine. Download the report here.

 

Photo: Jerker Andersson