AMERICA/PERU - Bishops’ Solidarity Campaign 2004 focuses on tragedy of adolescent mothers: 13% of girls aged 15 to 19 are already mothers or are expecting their first baby.

Saturday, 22 May 2004

Lima (Fides Service) - According to ENDES, Peru’s National Demographic and Health Survey 2000, 13% of girls aged 15 to 19 in Peru already have a child or are expecting one. In view of this concerning situation the Catholic Bishops Conference has launched today, 22 May a campaign of solidarity “Compartir 2004”, with the theme “ Adolescent Mothers: a reality close and concerning”.
The goal of the campaign is to “call all Peruvians to turn their eyes and hearts towards adolescent mothers, as well as to reflect on the necessity to increase commitment to help the poorest and most excluded of our people”, according to a report sent to Fides by the Bishops’ Conference.
The campaign of solidarity 2004 intends to address the problem through the revaluation of the family, promoting integral development of children and adolescents, awareness among the people of the causes of adolescent pregnancies while encouraging initiatives to help this sector of the population. It will also try to create centres to offer information and counselling to young people and to encourage families and society in general to support these young mothers.
The Campaign of Solidarity will be launched on May 22 at San Bartolome National Training Maternal and Paediatric Hospital where the President of the Bishops’ Conference Archbishop Juan José Larrañeta, will preside a Mass attended by members of numerous religious congregations involved in accompanying adolescent mothers.
Among the printed material prepared for the campaign by the Bishops’ Conference is the basic text “The Realty of Adolescent Mothers”. The document has five chapters offering an overall vision of the problem which involves millions of girls in Peru: chapter 1 “Peru Today” illustrates the context: socio-economic situation, crisis of values, crisis of the family. Chapter 2 speaks of the “World of Adolescence”: problems, realities, facing adolescent mothers. Chapter 3 “real life situations ”, is a collection of testimonies. Chapter 4 “You formed me in my mother’s womb” presents a theological reflection on the problem: the mystery of human life and human sexuality, how to transform reality with the teaching of the Gospel etc. Chapter 5, “Protecting adolescents: a responsibility for everyone”, offers a series proposals to solve the problem: an appeal to the Church and Christian communities; the Church’s duties towards the government and the state, Contributions and responsibilities of the civil society. The documents closes with a list of sources for further reflection. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 22/5/2004 - Righe 33; Parole 423).


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