BFLA produces video drama on teenage pregnancy
Tonight Channel Five is airing a documentary produced by the Belize Family Life Association called the "Tempting of Shakira". The program addresses the issue of teenage pregnancy, a problem BFLA says is increasing rather than decreasing. With teens accounting for twenty percent of all pregnancies in Belize and the respondents B.F.L.A. decided to create a video which recreates an all too common scenario. According to Rafael Sosa, "The Tempting of Shakira" speaks not only to the young women out there who are sexually active, but to their parents, and hopefully the men in the society.
Rafael Sosa, Youth Program Coordinator
"For us it is very typical, it describes the typical situation, and what we are trying to portray through this video is to look at all the pressure that come upon the young lady in terms of the young man using all the sweet words, all the sweet language and being so persuasive, almost like a business man, right, trying to sell himself, we try to look at some of the other pressures that are brought upon by the young lady’s friends,and we try to show the relationship that exits between parent and child, which as you know is almost non-existent. There are some parents to a varying degree, who are very reluctant to speak, not to speak, but to communicate and to interact with their children."
"Well I can tell you that traditionally, all programs, all videos, all educational materials, that revolve around teenage pregnancy have focused on the young lady. and certainly one would argue that that is the case with this video but we believe that there is some degree there is a focus on the young men. We are trying to provide them with a mirror in which they can look at themselves, and to see how they react to young ladies and to see how they behave around young ladies. And that hopefully that will let them reflect on their actions, and hopefully they will try to change some of that and that they will try to develop the real responsibility that they need to develop."
Sosa says according to a B.F.L.A. survey one of the major reasons young girls give for becoming sexually active and subsequently pregnant is quote "because I wanted a baby." The second most common reason was that they were just following their parent’s example. Wanting to please their partner was also a common explanation. The Tempting of Shakira airs at seven thirty tonight. The program was made possible through a grant from the Dutch Government.
