Authors: Patience, Moses and Alaina
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching effects worldwide. In rural Uganda, lockdowns resulted in economic difficulty due to restrictions on travel and trade. This heavily impacted small businesses and families in rural areas. School lockdowns resulted in children staying home, and as a secondary impact the rate of teenage pregnancies abruptly increased. These young girls are emerging from the pandemic with babies to care for and are at high risk of HIV/AIDS and various illnesses. They are forced to drop out of school, face social stigmatism, and may not be allowed home. We endeavour to help these girls gain financial independence, health, safety, and pride in themselves by providing them the opportunity to learn and market practical skills. We first visited these girls to learn first-hand of their lives, and to ask the girls themselves what they could see as a way through their challenges. See below the report from Moses and Patience!
Activity 4: Visit to young mothers and girls
After the team had finished training at Kakonkoma Primary School they proceeded to Katungu Cell to meet with young girls who were affected during Covid-19 lockdown. These ladies are from the two cells i.e Katungu and Rwobo cells in Southern Division, Rukungiri Municipality. A total number of 14 ladies were present most of them with young babies. Two were pregnant and only 1 had dropped out of school due to lack of school fees.
Some of these girls stay with their parents, some were chased from home to go to their husbands when they got pregnant and some were renting.
Through discussion, the ladies explained the situation they were going through with their children and these included:
- Lack of proper medication for their children
- Lack of basic needs i.e milk for their children, accommodation, food, clothes especially for children
- Many of them earn a living through working in people’s garden and sometimes they fail to get a job and they end up begging and sometimes being involved in multiple sexual activities to earn a living.
- Fear of going back to their homes because in our cultures here it is taboo for a get to get pregnant while still at her parents’ home.
- Lack of money to buy even pads; almost all use old clothing for sanitary pads
With these challenges, the team was able to counsel and guide them how best they can get out of the situation they are going through by getting involved in Income Generating Activities. Many of them being young and without capital, they expressed the desire to learn vocational causes of which they are sure they will be able to work and sustain their families. Below are the ideas they suggested:
- Growing vegetables i.e carrots, cabbages, dodo, egg plants etc
- Saloon (hair styling)
- Tailoring
- Chicken rearing (poultry) and other skills.
The team carried on hygiene education and other cross-cutting issues were discussed. Much emphasis was put on:
- Personal hygiene
- Children’s cleanliness
- HIV/AID; they were advised to do a voluntary counseling and testing to know their status and for those who might be sick to follow advise from medics. then practice ABC
- Family planning to avoid being pregnant again as this will add to their burdens
- Demonstration on how to use and care for reusable pads.
ACHE team requested to know those who might be ready to plan some activities this rainy season and they were willing.
Activity 5: Income Generating Activity
Alongside hygiene promotion ACHE was able to identify Mrs. Twijukye Scovia, a resident of Kinyasano who was willing to take up the agriculture part of it and established a garden of greens (Dodo). This was done in April 2021 and she started harvesting in May until February 2022. Her garden was 100 x 50 ft in which she managed to earn average 35,000 per week for the last 10 months and sometimes would earn more than that especially when she got orders for the parties and to feed her family and the neighbors.
At first she had to buy seedlings but now she has made it herself and sold some to those who wanted and given to neighbors. As for now her bed is ready and the garden to for replanting. She hope that her sales will increase since her species is the best and people now know that she has this healthy garden of produce.
Observations
- Changing room for old girls remain a big challenge to personal hygiene for school going children.
- The number of girls who dropped out of school and some became mothers is high.
- A lot is needed to sensitize a girl child and the parents in cases of dropping out of school or even getting pregnant and giving them hope, counsel that they can still make it in life.
Challenges
- During rainy season the demand is low because even those in the village have it and they bring it to town.
- Change in prices goes with the demand
Please see “Income Generating Activities – Project Proposal” for our team’s next steps.