Kagulu to receive a skilling center
Covid-19 induced lockdowns led to a worrying spike in teenage pregnancies, especially in the poorer rural areas. This added to a problem that existed even before the pandemic, despite laws against underage sex. When the Ugandan government closed schools in March 2020, soon after the first case of Covid-19 was cited in the country, no one imagined at the time that the virus would further escalate the rising rate of child and teenage pregnancy rates in the country.
Although Parliament passed a law in 1990 which criminalised sexual intercourse between men and girls below 18 years as an offence of defilement and imposed a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for the culprits, there is no evidence of it having an impact on teenage pregnancy rates.
In Uganda, there is a perception that once a girl develops breasts and begins menstrual periods, she is considered an adult ready to be married. This why the majority of girls who drop out of school are married before they are 18 years old.
Besides, parents of pregnant girls have openly opposed the jailing of the culprits as that denies the victims and their children vital financial and material support from them. Instead, families of pregnant girls prefer negotiating for financial compensation or bride price.
Although the country has made some economic progress in the past three decades, extreme income inequalities exist, with some households living in abject poverty. Testimonies by some girls give grim accounts of how they were lured into sex in return for money, food and sanitary pads their parents or guardians could not afford to buy them. The Ugandan government has no contingency programmes to feed and support economically vulnerable sections of the population.
Covid-19 expanded and deepened the plight of vulnerable teenage girls. Some of their parents, who depend on daily wages or incomes from the informal sector for survival, cannot afford to buy food and other essentials of life for their families. In order to survive, some parents have allowed their adolescent children to look for assistance from the local boys who do manual labour to earn the badly needed income. It is thought that these activities have increased the girls’ vulnerability to sexual exploitation and abuse.
DLLN Uganda in Partnership with Tim foundation came up with strategies to help these poor exploited girls through giving them Sex education, startup kits in form of goats and seedlings for planting, giving the expectant young mothers maternity items like Mama Kit, Mosquito nets, sanitory pads, food rations like Porridge and Skilling them in different income generating activities.
on 14th June 2022, while on a curtsey visit to the villages of Kagulu, Kidera and Bulembo, the President of Tim kolschowsky foundatioñ reveled that there is a plan of starting up a skilling Centre in Kagulu where these young parents will get skill in Tailoring, shoes making, arts and crafts in order to earn a living and be self employed. Mr. Tim kolschowsky thanked the Kyabazinga (king) of Busoga His Majesty William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV for his efforts of lobbying for assistance from foundation ” i want to thank the king and the King’s group for identifying the needs of the people of Busoga and he wasn’t proud to ask for assistance because some times people find it hard to ask for help. Our money can not do anything without the efforts of the King and his group,” President Tim Said in his address to the people of Kagulu. He further said that he is pleased with the hard work done after the education and support received from his foundation and promised a continuous collaboration for more twenty years.
The Director of IOWA State University – Uganda Program , Dr. Gideon Nadiope told the locals that they are seated on the biggest wealth which is land and urgued them to utilize it effectively by practicing the agriculture which has been taught to them in order to improve on their living standards.
Prince Kitimbo Daniel, the Executive Director of DLLN Uganda thanked Tim kolschowsky foundatioñ for their support rendered to the people of Busoga and appreciated the team he works . He promised to do more for the betterness and wellbeing of Busoga people.
DllN Uganda is committed to equip youth in Busoga with knowlodege of farming, improved livelihood and healths. We believe that personal development, education and vocational skills development are the way to end poverty. We advocate for a better future for youth through all the activities and projects we do.
