At a club for teenage girls in Sierre Leone, 18-year-old Mbalu leads by example

Teenage pregnancy is one of the most pervasive social problems in Sierra Leone today - more than one third of all pregnancies involve teenage girls. UNICEF, in collaboration with the NGO BRAC, is tackling this complex issue through a simple idea -- providing a place where teenage girls enjoy hanging out while they have training in life skills, gain valuable knowledge and access mentoring from peers. Mbalu Bumbuya, 18, a mentor at one such club for adolescent girls called 'the Wharf Club', is changing lives with her passion to teach and motivate her peers. "I tell them how to protect themselves so that they can excel in life," she says. "And I encourage them not to drop out of school." The club has also helped Mbalu stay focused on her education.