South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families producing young fatherhood documentary

Wednesday, May 03, 2017

Tags: South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families , Outreach

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The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families is partnering with SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy to give audiences a first-hand look at the choices and challenges that young fathers face. The center is producing a documentary that will show three young fathers from its local fatherhood programs in their daily lives as they deal with the experiences associated with being an unwed father at an early age. For a full year, a production crew will capture footage of 21-year-old Isiaha, 16-year-old Reise, and 23-year-old Dialo.

Isiaha works several low-wage jobs to care for his girlfriend, their baby and her three children from a previous relationship. At the start of the filming, all of them were living in a hotel while waiting to secure an apartment through a local housing program. A bad decision removed that possibility. Through the fatherhood program he attends, Isiaha is learning to admit mistakes and learn how his actions affect his future as he juggles it all trying to keep his family together.

Reise became a father at 14. From the moment Reise learned he would be a dad, he has had to fight to be in his child's life. He and the mother of his child found themselves in a volatile situation when their own parents began fighting for custody of the child. After a court hearing, Reise now has joint custody of his son and is learning the responsibilities of fatherhood as he prepares to graduate from high school. 

Dialo became a father while still dealing with a past that involved gangs and drugs. The absence of a positive male influence and a strained relationship with his mother has fueled Dialo's desire to change the course of his life. Dialo works hard to provide for his child and fiancee while trying to stay clear of influences that block the positive path he's on. 

Three different fathers with the same goals... to become great dads to their children. Their stories will provide an often overlooked perspective on teen parenthood. The documentary, now in its sixth month of production, is set to be released in August 2017.

The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.