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As thousands die from Ebola across West Africa, teenage girls are being thrown into early motherhood to look after their younger siblings
Siah, 16 and her five year-old brother John have cried every night since their mother died of Ebola.
“I can’t imagine how I will take care of the children without any help,” says Siah as she hugs her little brother to her chest. “We have some other relatives in Sierra Leone, but I don’t know how to find them.”
Siah is one of thousands of orphaned teenage girls across Sierra Leone and Liberia who are taking on the role of mother to their younger siblings. She is now taking responsibility for John and her sister Rebecca, who is eight.
At least 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola this year, according to UN figures.
Young girls like Siah are supporting, feeding and caring for children and babies, stepping into their mothers’ footsteps as the sole caregivers.
“They called me and told me that my mother was sick, and I was very scared,” says Siah. “I didn’t know what would happen to Mama and I didn’t know what would happen to me. So I travelled there to help take care of her.
“Sadly, she didn’t make it and she died. I came back with my little sister and my brother. We cry every day and night because of Mama.”
Miatta, 16, cooks and cares for her three younger siblings as well as her own one year-old baby now that her parents are dead from Ebola.
“When day breaks, I cook dry rice, and me and my little brother and sisters eat,” she explains.
“When my mother was sick, they came for her. They just opened the car and put her in. I was scared and thought they were spirits because of the way they dressed and the clothes they were wearing.”
Ebola has so far claimed 3431 lives across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone (WHO 3rd October 2014), among them scores of single mothers who have left young families behind.
Children in particular are struggling to cope after losing their care-givers to the spreading epidemic.
Since their mother’s death, Miatta and her 12 year-old sister Jenneh must bring up their baby sister Hawa, who is just six months old, as well as five year old Musa.
Miatta says the health ministry gave them thirty cups of rice when their mother died, but they have not received any more food from the government.
They are keeping themselves safe by washing their hands regularly, but getting money to buy chlorine and other sanitary supplies is a challenge. Miatta says she misses her parents every day.
“I want to be a president in the future,” she adds. “When I become president, I will make sure that things will become accessible like rice and medicine.”
But with already schools closed and lessons suspended, this generation of girls could miss out on education in the same way that their late mothers missed out during the civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
“Once their mother dies, the orphaned children have to leave school, if they were in school in the first place,” explains Koala Oumarou, Country Director of Plan Liberia.
“These girls are now missing out on an education, and will essentially become mothers by default. They will end up as teenage mothers even though they started out on a path to a better future.”
West African tradition usually dictates that orphaned children would be taken in by the extended family or other members of the community.
But with widespread fear and anxiety among affected communities, other families are unwilling to take them in, because they are afraid of contracting the Ebola virus.
“These children are really stigmatised by Ebola, and many families just do not want to help them after their parents die because they are scared of contracting the disease,” explains Oumarou.
“Extended families don’t want to take care of orphans of affected parents or other vulnerable children anymore out of fear of being contaminated or stigmatised in the community.
“Some foster families have even abandoned orphans after receiving the accompanying food and non-food assistance, leaving the children to fend for themselves.”
Aid organisation Plan is responding across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea in areas of child protection, social mobilisation and psychosocial support for children.
Plan is also using radio broadcast, posters, information leaflets and TV spots to reach out to communities, particularly children.
“The situation is leaving so many children orphaned and vulnerable, and it continues to affect more and more children,” says Oumarou.
“Ebola is changing Africa’s culture and its root values, orphans are no longer cherished by the extended family members and lack of community support to afford normal life.
“It is a real challenge for local and international organisations to fill the gap and ensure that these children are protected and their rights are being restored.
“We must make available food, clothing and shelter for children hit hard by this Ebola virus, and we must ensure that the teenage girls who are having to step up and act as mothers to their brothers and sisters are helped to survive and eventually return to school.”
Meanwhile, West Africa’s default teenage mothers struggle on amid the escalating health crisis.
“I feel very scared right now,” says Siah. “I don’t want Ebola to catch any other member of my family. I can’t afford to lose any of these children to Ebola.”
