PORTFOLIO: Teenage motherhood, France: Teenagemotherhood_29_DAV2011_1301_D01_29

Once I had my two children, I realized I had missed out on my teenage years. MélissaMélissa wanted to be a mother when she was only 14; so when she fell in love with Steven it seemed the natural thing to do. She was pregnant at 15, but terminated the pregnancy, then again at 17, and again to Steven. They both decided to keep the child, a little boy named Lohann. Two years later they had a daughter, Leyna. Mélissa is now 22 and has broken up with Steven, but he still looks after his two children. Mélissa lives in a public housing apartment with her children, now 4 and 2. She wants to work as a prison guard and will start training in September 2015. In the meantime, she is trying to find a job in Fourmies.Mélissa has no regrets about having her children, but with hindsight thinks she was too young to be a mother. “I lost my teenage years; I couldn’t do anything, but now I’m making up for it.”Now, after a failed romance, she has a tattoo: No Love. Fourmies.

Once I had my two children, I realized I had missed out on my teenage years. Mélissa 

Mélissa wanted to be a mother when she was only 14; so when she fell in love with Steven it seemed the natural thing to do. She was pregnant at 15, but terminated the pregnancy, then again at 17, and again to Steven. They both decided to keep the child, a little boy named Lohann. Two years later they had a daughter, Leyna. Mélissa is now 22 and has broken up with Steven, but he still looks after his two children. Mélissa lives in a public housing apartment with her children, now 4 and 2. She wants to work as a prison guard and will start training in September 2015. In the meantime, she is trying to find a job in Fourmies. 

Mélissa has no regrets about having her children, but with hindsight thinks she was too young to be a mother. “I lost my teenage years; I couldn’t do anything, but now I’m making up for it.” 

Now, after a failed romance, she has a tattoo: No Love. Fourmies.