Symphony Band, one of the leading music bands in the country, has teamed up with the local non-government organisation, Empower Rwanda, to tackle the growing challenge of teenage pregnancy across the country.

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The band, managed by Backstage Music Company, entered a partnership with Empower Rwanda to use music to reach out to hundreds of young people in a countrywide tour and sensitise them to the dangers and burdens presented by teenage pregnancy.

The band is set to kick off the performances in Nyagatare District, where the campaign dubbed "Rungano Turwanye inda ziterwa abangavu” will start, tomorrow, April 4.

Other artistes expected to perform at the concert include Alyn Sano, arguably the leading female artiste at the moment with a huge appeal among the youth.

The "Boo and Bae” singer was recently involved in a campaign to promote safe sex by encouraging the use of contraception, particularly condoms.

The objective of the campaign is to raise youth awareness of the prevention of teenage pregnancy through youth-friendly strategies, music being one of them.

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The partnership is aimed at ensuring that youth have access to information about SRHR and legal frameworks, have an understanding of family planning methods, awareness of cultural and gender norms that perpetuate teenage pregnancies and sexual violence, among other areas of action.

The increase in teenage pregnancy rates in Rwanda in recent years has been an issue of serious concern.

According to the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, teenage pregnancy has been on the rise in Rwanda in recent years, with 17,337 underage girls conceiving in 2017, 19,832 in 2018, 23,544 in 2019, 19,701 in 2020, and 23,000 in 2021.

The City of Kigali and Eastern Province face the highest prevalence of teenage pregnancies in Rwanda, explaining why the campaign started in Nyagatare District.