Hi! My name is Nuela and I am raising funds to establish an alternative educational facility in one of the most deprived areas in the outskirts of Luanda, the capital of Angola.

The facility will provide:

• Education and information for pregnant and teenage mothers who had to leave school due to an unexpected pregnancy.

• ⁠Facilities such as a nursery to allow mothers to attend school.

• ⁠It will also provide the girls with at least one hot meal per day.

Currently there are no facilities offering this type of support for vulnerable teenagers.

A little about me: I have been a child protection social worker in the UK for over 12 years. Having been a teenage mother myself, I know from first-hand experience the importance of education: I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to continue with my studies, and over the years I have completed a BA in international studies, and master degrees in International Relations, Social Work and Social Work with Emotional Wellbeing. My education helped me turn my life around and ensure that I could provide for me and my children. Now it’s my turn to give back. This project is designed to give teenage mothers the opportunity to make a difference - to their lives and that of their children by helping them continue with their education while navigating their teenage years with the challenges of parenting.

I have used my savings to buy a property for the facility. Your money will help to:

- Support the required renovations to build a place where young teenage mothers can find sanctuary during such an uncertain period in their lives.

- Provide young teenage mothers with the support they need to continue their education while still pregnant or after giving birth.

Provide academic education and training to empower young girls to fend for themselves and give them the best possible chance of success, while preventing them from having to become destitute (in Angola, destitute teenage mums are sometimes forced to make "hard choices" to survive which may include getting “older boyfriends” who take advantage of their vulnerability).

A key part of the education provided will be around professional training to enable them to find sustainable employment.

We aim to create a prevention program:

Provide health education to prevent further unwanted pregnancies

Facilitate access to effective contraception

Provide information around safe sex and safe relationships

Provide training against gender based violence and violence against women and girls

I Thank you for considering this project. I hope you’ll find a way to provide support - either by donating or sharing this page with family and friends. Please also follow our journey online: you can find us on Instagram at @lunapearlcentre. I would be grateful for any help you can provide to get this project off the ground. If you have any questions about the project, please use the contact button below.