From CHARLES SIMENGWA in Paris, France –
FIRST Lady Esther Lungu has appealed for the setting up of teenage maternal centers in Zambia as the country seeks to address the plight of the girl-child and teenage mothers.
Ms Lungu said here yesterday that teenage mothers in Zambia were victims of social injustices whose lives should be enhanced through quality education.
She said young mothers faced much brutality from their families and society as a whole, which hindered them from becoming productive citizens.
She said this when she toured the Villa Deaurer Centre in Palaiseau, which provides a social safety net for  teenage mothers who fail to provide for their children.
The First Lady said some teenage girls fall pregnant because of underage prostitution, defilement, poverty and other social vices.
The French Government provided accommodation, living allowances and education for the children and their mothers who are freed after three years.
Before they were released from the center, the teenage mothers were provided with jobs or survival skills.
Ms Lungu called on the private sector and non-governmental organisations to support Government in delivering decent living standards for the girl-child in Zambia.
She interacted with some teenage mothers after touring the facility, and said creating a similar facility in Zambia would be the right thing to do for young mothers.
Center president, Debvissor Jeeean Diessre praised the First Lady for her efforts in addressing the plight of the girl-child, aged, disabled and vulnerable sections of the population in Zambia.
Mr Diessre thanked Ms Lungu for visiting the center, which currently has more than 20 teenage mothers.