The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 5 August 2025 at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Dr Jane Kelly.

About the Seminar:

Supporting Adolescent Mothers in School: Insights from the Khanyisa Ngemfundo Study

Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant challenge in South Africa, with one-third of women experiencing pregnancy during adolescence. Many young mothers face stigma and discrimination, leading to school disengagement and high dropout rates. Educators, though positioned as key sources of support, often lack training and guidance. The Khanyisa Ngemfundo study explored how school stakeholders perceive and implement support structures for pregnant and mothering learners, culminating in a training toolkit for educators. Using a participatory research approach in four Eastern Cape schools, this study engaged pregnant and mothering learners, learner representatives, school-based support teams, governing board members, and civil society organizations. Methods included group discussions, mind-mapping, free-writing, ano visual knowledge translation, structured around the Objective-Reflective-Interpretational-Decisional (ORID) facilitation framework. Using a socio-ecological resilience lens, this seminar will provide an overview of the preliminary findings from this research study, focusing on four emerging themes: (i) self-motivation and aspirations; (ii) accessible and inclusive school environments, (iii) interconnected networks of support, and (iv) addressing harmful norms and stigma.

Speakers

Dr Jane Kelly is an NRF Y2-rated Senior Research Officer in the Accelerate Research Hub, Centre for Social Science Research. Her research focuses on three interrelated yet standalone research areas: (1) how young people navigate risk and resilience, (2) the role of healthcare providers in promoting good health outcomes for adolescents and young people, and (3) the role of an inclusive education system in supporting adolescents. Her background is in research psychology, and she has experience working in both academic and government settings.

 5 August 2025
 12:45 - 14:00 SAST
  CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29 Robert Leslie Social Science Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa