KINGSTON, Jamaica — Twenty-eight-year-old Antoinette Sykes is happy to have a job that allows her to make a difference in the lives of young girls. But there was a time when life was not so easy for Antoinette. At 15, while still in high school, she found herself pregnant.

“I just kept thinking everything would be set back for me…my future. I just kept having that negative thought,” Antoinette recalls.

RIOBAMBA, Ecuador — When fifteen-year-old Maria Victoria Urquizo tends to the potato field in front of her brother’s house in the indigenous community of Guanilchig, she has a stunning view of the majestic, snow-capped Chimborazo—Ecuador’s highest mountain. At 3,500 meters (about 11,500 feet) above sea level, the morning air in this Western range of the Andes is crisp.

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Nearly 40 per cent of Guatemala's 14 million people belong to one of more than 20 indigenous Mayan groups. A disproportionate number live in poor and isolated rural areas with limited access to basic services such as water, sanitation, education and health.

This year's State of World Population report, which launches 30 October, will deal with the issue of adolescent pregnancy.  The following story describes a model programme in Jamaica that helps pregnant girls and young mothers continue their education and fulfil their potential.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — "Becoming pregnant at such a young age was a terrifying experience. I did not know what to do when I found out," said 17-year-old Joelle as she recounted the emotional turmoil of being pregnant during her teenage years.

XESACMALJA, Guatemala - The tiny town of Xesacmalja, four hours west of the capital, Guatemala City, is nestled between pine forests and surrounded by streams. The streets are usually quiet in this poor Mayan village, but last November they were bustling with activity as elders and dignitaries arrived to attend an event held by the community’s girls. The celebration, hosted at a local civic centre, showcased all that the girls had achieved through the Abriendo Oportunidades – ‘Opening Opportunities’ – Programme.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The aftermath of the earthquake is still visible on the walls of the former National School of Nurses and Midwives in Port-Au-Prince. A tent that served as a makeshift classroom is still pitched in the yard.

SALVADOR, Bahia –The tiny baby girl was asleep when UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin came to see her. "She is a premature baby, born after a 22-week pregnancy," explained Dr. Dolores Fernandez, Director of the Institute of Perinatology of Bahia "We are very proud of her -- yesterday she breastfed for the first time."

BRASILIA — At the end of a three-day mission to Brazil, UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin left with good news: Brazil is committed to support the International Conference on Population Development review process and will actively participate in the Regional Conference on Population and Development that will take place in August in Montevideo, Uruguay.