What more can be done to curb teenage pregnancies and create a safe space in schools and communities
Voices of girls and boys during a high level dialogue with the First Lady in Busoga sub region
The High-Level Dialogue organized by the Government of Uganda in partnership with UNICEF and UNFPA brought together critical stakeholders in the Busoga sub-region at Wanyange Girls' School to address defilement, child marriage, teenage pregnancies and promote positive parenting. Under the theme 'Protect the Girl, Save the Nation', the event brought together more than 2,400 students from 37 schools. The dialogue was funded by SIDA.
Below are some of the lessons, recommendations and shared aspirations of students, prefects, and teachers on what more can be done to curb teenage pregnancies and create a safe space in schools and communities for girls to thrive.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, some of our students got pregnant and we allowed them back to school until they were ready to give birth. To protect other learners from falling into the same trap, our church-founded school relies on religious values to entrench the message of abstinence. We also have counselling sessions from motivational speakers, discourage fornication and teachers are encouraged to act as role models," Anthony Onyango, Teacher Budini Secondary School, Kaliro District.
"The best way to protect girls from teenage pregnancies is encouraging them to surround themselves with good friends. The company that you keep is likely to influence your actions. I keep telling my friends not to engage in sex when they cannot carry the responsibilities that might accrue. It is okay to play with books, but it is not acceptable to play with someone's child or their heart. From this training, I will encourage fellow students to be driven by their life goals, not their emotions," Mark, Senior Five, Kiira College Butiki.
“We have rising cases of teenage pregnancies nowadays because parents feel shy to talk about sex. They think their children are still too young to hear about such a topic, yet this is the information we are yearning for. Girls need to know what happens when they engage in sexual activities with a boy and the consequences of such actions. Some parents get rude and physical when children make minor mistakes, such as breaking a plate. Such a parent cannot expect their daughter to open up to them about their sexual challenges,” Priscilla, Senior Three, Wanyange Girls’ School.
"I had to stay in the house during the lockdown to avoid being harassed by the boys. I feel safer at school than home because my parents are never there. I want to do medicine and be a doctor in the future; to achieve this dream, I resolve to resist peer pressure and drug abuse and find activities such as knitting to occupy my free time," Jolly, 16, Senior Three, Muljibhai Madhvani College Wairaka.
My goal is to become a lawyer. No man can lie to me that they love me at this age. I want to be a lady of substance like Esther Kisakye. If she had not stuck to her principles, perhaps she would not have gotten to the level where she is. I advise fellow girls to have principles in life and to stick to them no matter the temptations in life. If it is true love, it will wait,” Veronica, 16, Wanyange Girls’ School.
"From this dialogue, I have learnt to be confident, seek counselling and report all forms of violence to the respective officers and speak to my colleagues about things that affect me. I pray that UNICEF and other stakeholders set up a skilling centre for girls in Busoga sub-region who did not continue with school. From the testimonies I have heard today, life is hard out there, but with the right support, things can be turned around," Tracy, 15, Senior Three, Wanyange Girls’ School.
As teenagers, I have learnt that we must be open about our sexuality, the dangers of it and how to protect ourselves. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual advances from men; some blindly accept to engage in sexual activities in exchange for small gifts. Before you know it, they are pregnant. If parents can openly talk to their children about the dangers of sex, it would go a long way to empower them," Faima, 16, Bukoyo Secondary School.
"Our parents still think we are too young to have open conversations about sex. As a result, most teenagers get sex information from the Internet. I feel safer at school because some teachers, such as the Senior Woman Teacher, make me comfortable talking about my challenges. She listens without judging and guides me accordingly. Because they are not educated or exposed, most parents think that talking about sex encourages it, yet the reverse is true," Rachel Hope Sahona, 14, Wanyange Girls’ School.
"I feel protected when I see girl champions like the First Lady, Vice President, and the Prime Minister. They are here to guide us and provide inspiration to us. For those of us in single-sex schools who take a while to see boys, it becomes a challenge to cope when we finally meet them in our communities. But from this dialogue, I now have the confidence to reject any approach from a boy and if he insists, I know where to report them," Grace, Senior Two, Wanyange Girls' School
"During the holiday, one of our neighbour's children was raped. Since that day, I have only felt safe most at school. Being from a single-sex school, I find it hard to associate with boys. When I told my mother about my challenges, she advised me to remain in the house, which was not a solution. From this training, I have learnt to assert myself and ignore any obstacles in the path to achieving my goals. My role model is Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga. Whenever I see the respect, she commands and how far she has gone in life, I am encouraged to do more to be like her," Pretty, Senior Three, Wanyange Girls' School.
The environment is not yet safe for a girl child to be free. Whenever I am at home for holidays, I hardly leave the gate. Even when I have friends, I make sure that we benefit positively from each other academically and encourage each other whenever one of us is facing challenges. If the issue requires expert advice, at school, we report it to the Senior Woman Teacher, who is approachable and always available, but at home, I find it hard to open up to my parents because they are tough," Teopista, Senior Two, Wanyange Girls' Secondary School.
"As a prefect, we have different sensitisation programs for teenagers. Through our patron, we went to different radio stations during the COVID-19 lockdowns and discussed the dangers of teenage pregnancies, the causes of defilement and the solutions. We mentor fellow students and support them when they have challenges. We also invite accomplished alums of the school to come and give career guidance talks to students. This is an area that organisations such as UNICEF can support because these talks are effective and necessary," Peace, Senior Three, Wanyange Girls' School.
We go out in communities to sensitise the community members about the dangers of teenage pregnancies. Last year, our school ran a campaign to encourage girls who were already pregnant to come back to school. We told them there is still a future for them, just like the testimonies we have heard today. Girls get pregnant due to many factors, but lack of information is key," Macklin, Senior Three, Wanyange Girls' School.
"My role is to empower fellow students to focus on their studies. In my speeches on the assembly, I make it a point to remind them to put education first, prioritise their future and abstain from sex until marriage. I tell them to open their books, not their legs," Stephen, Senior Five, Head Prefect, Buzaya Secondary School.
Access to drugs and exposure to pornographic material through the Internet and social media platforms has increased teenage pregnancies. Because of peer pressure, teenagers, especially boys, want to try out what they watch. To solve this, we need material on how to safely use digital devices such as smartphones for education purposes," Nelson, 21, Head Boy, Buzaya High School.
"Most parents bring their children to school hoping that the school will shape their behaviour which is not right. We have had to suspend a student who slapped a female colleague after she told him off. Such mannerisms are carried from home to school because parents have failed to be positive role models to their children. More emphasis should be put on sensitising community members through radios, churches and televisions for the girl children to feel safe outside the school gates," Mahad, Head Prefect, Senior Two, King of Kings Secondary School.
If our parents don't speak to us, girls continue to remain vulnerable to acts of sexual violence from men. Parents should be their children's best friends, the primary source of information about sex to reduce teenage pregnancies. If they leave this gap unfilled, their children will try to find this information from other sources such as their friends or the Internet," Brenda, Deputy Head Prefect, Mpumudde Secondary School.
"One of the ways to reduce teenage pregnancies is through engagements with the youth like this dialogue. The facilitations we have received have been informative and helpful. I have resolved to abstain from sex until marriage, avoid peer groups and work hard to achieve my dream of being a pharmacist," Denis, Senior Three, Head Boy, Bukooli College, Bugiri.
