16 year old Butaleja mother faces financial struggles after quadruplets

Mubiru Musitafa, a father to a 16yr old Nankya Mwajuma, who recently gave birth to quadruplets, is facing an uncertain future as he grapples with the immense responsibility of caring for his daughter and her newborns.

Nankya, a former Primary Six student at Butaleja Demonstration Primary School, gave birth to four baby girls at Busolwe Hospital and was later transferred to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for further medical management.

Musitafa, who relies on farming and metalwork such as crafting charcoal stoves and metallic boxes to support his family, expressed both joy and anxiety when he received the news.

Despite being accustomed to multiple births within his family, with relatives having previously delivered twins and triplets, the arrival of four babies at once has left him deeply worried about the financial strain.

"By God’s grace, I believe we’ll manage," Musitafa said, acknowledging the challenges ahead, especially as he lives in makeshift structures that reflect his family’s humble standard of living.

Musitafa also shared his desire to return Nankya to school once the financial means are available. Nankya had dropped out of school after becoming pregnant, and the family hopes for a brighter future for her through education.

But Dr. Adam Musiho, Assistant District Health Officer Butaleja, has cautioned young girls in the district to avoid early pregnancies due to the severe health risks associated with adolescent childbirth.

He highlighted that complications such as obstetric fistula and even death can result from teenage pregnancies.

Betty Nesihwe, Senior Probation and Welfare Officer for Butaleja District, revealed that efforts are being made to support Nankya’s reintegration into society.

"The district is actively engaging development partners to provide rehabilitation for the young mother and ensure her ability to care for her babies" said Betty Nesihwe.

However, Nesihwe noted that her office is overwhelmed by the growing number of teenage pregnancies in the region, calling for urgent intervention from partners.

Jimmy Nambiro, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Butaleja, emphasized that school dropouts are contributing to the rise in teenage pregnancies.

He pointed out that some headteachers in the district extort money from students, leading many to leave school. Nambiro expressed the need to tackle this issue to curb the dropout rate and prevent future cases of young girls falling into early motherhood.

Meanwhile, Nankya and her quadruplets remain under medical supervision at Mbale Referral Hospital as the family and community rally to support them in this challenging time.

As cases of teenage pregnancy and school dropout continue to rise, district authorities are appealing for development partners to step in and provide assistance.

Musitafa’s story is just one among the many, and the call for stronger intervention in education and healthcare is more urgent than ever.