In 2018, Florence Fabiola Lakica dropped out of school after her parents failed to raise school fees. She was in Senior 3. After her parents told her that she was no longer going to continue with her education, Lakica was left pondering her future.

However, all that changed in 2019, after Acholi Zonal Presidential Industrial Hub, a vocational institute, was set up by the government of Uganda to support disadvantaged youth in the former war-ravaged sub-region. Lakica was one of 200 youth shortlisted to undertake vocational skills training at the institute. When other young women went for hairdressing, tailoring, bakery and horticulture, Lakica chose welding.

“No one told me to train in welding and metal fabrications. I just made up my mind. I said to myself, [I want to become] one of the best welders,” she says.

After six months, Lakica graduated with a certificate in welding and metal fabrications. “My life has changed after I graduated. I now work with Don Logistics Company in Gulu City as one of the two welders recruited by the company.

Lakica can make metallic doors, beds, tables and chairs. “I can make a door in one day. This depends on the design. Some designs are complicated and need a lot of time to make a beautiful door,” she says. “On a good day, I can earn UGX 25,000. Out of the UGX 25,000, I save UGX 15, 000. I spend UGX 10,000 shillings on the basic needs,” she adds.

The mother of two is also taking care of her mother. Her parents are separated.

“I am very happy for this life changing opportunity. After I dropped out of school, life stood still. I never thought I would be able to have a decent job and provide for my family,” Lakica notes.

 “I make tables, chairs and beds, which I later sell to my customers. The money I earn has enabled me to pay school fees for my two children and support close relatives as well. I have also been able to save part of my earnings, “she adds.

Lakica has big plans. She plans to work in the oil pipeline and also set up a welding workshop. “If possible, I want to work in the oil pipeline. My plan is also to set up one of the best workshops in Gulu City. I have already drawn up the budget. I need between UGX10 and UGX15 million to achieve my dream. [This will also] give other girls the opportunity to become self-reliant. I want to empower young women too.

Becoming a welder has changed the life story of Lakica in the last two years. 

In Uganda, more than 70 percent of the population is under 30, and youth unemployment rates are as high as 63 percent. Women, in particular, face two major employability disadvantages, as Uganda has one of the highest school drop-out rates for women in East Africa and one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Samuel Oyet Agwani, the Assistant Hub Manager, Acholi Zonal Industrial Hub, Presidential Youth Skilling said before receiving the skills training, the majority of the young people were desperate. “These young men and women who are now productive in society used to sit home pondering what the future holds for me. But not anymore. Things have changed for the better. This training has [given] them the skills they need to become self-sufficient,” Agwani says.

ABOUT THE HUB

The Industrial Hub located in Komker Village, Unyama Sub-County in Gulu District is one of the 21 zonal industrial hubs constructed in all sub-regions of Uganda by State House with the aim of skilling 12,600 youths every year.

The project is one of the projects run by the president’s office under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling.

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Before Prossy Nakanwagi’s son turned one, she thought he was just a peaceful baby. “[We comforted] ourselves that maybe he’s just taking his time, but as he started walking, he also started having unstoppable walks without getting tired. Then I suspected that something isn’t right with our child,” narrates the mother of four. Nakanwagi, a doctor by profession, got to know that her first baby is autistic at one year and a few months. 

It is often difficult for parents to observe signs of autism in their children. For Nakanwagi, this was their first child; it was, therefore, difficult to suspect that the child might have a problem because they did not have another child to compare behavioral patterns or development milestones with.

 “When we suspected that our son had a problem, we took him to several doctors but many of them didn’t see the problem,” she says.

The National Referral hospital Mulago has departments of different therapies but these units are already overburdened. Most parents get therapy from private practitioners and this comes with a high costs. While getting a proper therapist might be a challenge, Nakanwagi says even getting the service itself is very expensive, especially because it’s a continuous service. Many families can’t afford it. 

Accessibility of schools 

 “When our son was young, he hopped from one school to another, we bought uniforms from many schools, and by the time he was 7 years, we had gone to more than seven schools. And that goes with school fees, registration fees and everything that goes with taking a child to school. So the cost of raising a child with autism is very high: from diagnosis, therapies, and schooling – inclusive of a special diet that is usually recommended by specialists. All these strain a family,” says Nakanwagi.

There are schools that are supposed to address the needs of children with autism but the challenge is that the mild, severe, and moderate cases are mixed together and they end up coping with all the wrongs and rights, which detonates the child. 

The perception of society towards autism also worsens the burden of raising such children, with one parent often left to carry the burden. Stories of men walking out on their spouses are common. But Nakanwagi narrates a case where a mother walked out, leaving the child behind. 

“There are many families that have separated because of a diagnosis of autism,” she notes.

Managing diagnosis

Nakanwagi says early intervention is very vital. There is no curative treatment but with close monitoring, therapy and hard work, there is usually improvement and progress. She advises acquiring as much information as possible so that you are able to address the different needs and challenges that might arise. 

It’s important to simplify their environment. Scheduling or creating a routine helps most children. For instance, autistic children usually want to follow their daily routines of activities. 

It’s also important to be cautious when choosing treatment because some parents get desperate and end up with quack therapists. 

She adds that Pet Therapy is useful because interacting with animals improves social skills and communication. “For our son we introduced rabbits when he was young because we realized rabbits would be more communicative,” she adds. 

A lot of children with autism spectrum disorder have mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Supplementation is therefore crucial. 

Research indicates that the elimination of milk, red meat, sugar, and processed food like fizzy drinks is recommended.

Nakanwagi advises parents to identify parental support groups where they can share experiences, management, and how to cope.

“Mathew the Art Master” is Nakanwagi’s son, who is now 15 and has acquired skills through a trainer after his parents carried out tests and identified what he was able to do. Mathew designs art pieces for sale. 

DATA

According to Uganda’s 2014 census, the national autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence rate was 70/10,000 persons in a population of 44,120,140. The central region leads with a total of 106,749, western with 99,470, eastern with 101,334, and northern region with 80,705, totaling to 388,258. Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.

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Madalena Lawino, 100, sits under her dilapidated grass-thatched hut as she watches the sun set. The centenarian lives with her two young grandchildren. They share the same house. In the distance lies the graves of her late husband and two sons. Ms Lawino returned from the camp for internally displaced persons 18 years ago. Since then, she has been struggling to rebuild her life.

“My husband died a few months after we returned to our original village. Shortly, my two sons passed on too. Now, I have to struggle and feed these two grandchildren they left behind,” she says. 

Lawino lives in Lukung Village, Gem Parish, in Lalogi Sub County, Omoro District. She was one of those forced to abandon their villages for IDP camps during the LRA insurgency in Northern Uganda. 

“I am on my own. I don’t receive stipends being provided by the government to older persons. I really don’t know what the problem is yet I provided my National Identity Card to the government officials,” she says. 

Under the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme, at least 200,000 Senior Citizens of 80 years and above are receiving cash support. Each receives 25,000 Shillings every month. The programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. 

In Lukung Village, out of about 50 elders who have qualified for SAGE program, only 10 are accessing the fund. Marino Okoya, the Lukung Village Chairperson noted that the majority of the older persons in the area depend on well-wishers for survival. He noted that like any other district in Acholi sub-region, elderly persons in village are grappling with poor nutrition, ill health and lack of social protection.

Lawino, who says she’s now weak, worries that she might never receive the money. She says her knees hurt a lot and she suffers from persistent cough. “This worries me because I fear that one day, I may fail to wake up in the morning,” she says.

Her story is the norm in many rural settings where the elderly can barely survive. In communities like Lawino’s that have endured insurgency with people forced to live in IDP camps, social support systems are largely broken.  

Lawino says she was born in 1924, though she doesn’t remember the precise month and date. At her age, she is the caretaker of her grandchildren, in a situation where people walk long distances to fetch water, gather firewood and work in gardens.   “It is hard to live without money”, she says adding: “I need money to hire labour to cultivate food, repair my house and pay for medical bills. Age has eaten me up. I am too weak to go to the wilderness to cut grass to reconstruct my house.” 

Her four daughters live several kilometres away at their martial homes. They rarely visit her. 

Ms Mary Oywa, a Councilor representing Older Persons at the Gulu District Local Council noted that society has neglected the elderly. “Elderly people are living like dogs. Their condition is appalling. They are being neglected by family members,” she says.

 “As a society, we need to treat elderly persons with dignity. They are a cornerstone of our society. They are our living library. They teach us everything about life and neglecting them is a curse,” she warns.

Among the Acholi people of northern Uganda, the traditional role of an older person is understood as sharing knowledge, advice and wealth, mediating domestic conflicts and guiding and caring for grandchildren. In return, it is believed that they were well-supported and loved by a larger family. 

The relevance and position of older persons has, however, diminished in a modernising cash-driven economy. With urbanisation, a monetary or transactional value has been imposed upon kinship ties, disempowering a majority of older persons who are poor and cannot make economic contributions. 

Data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) indicate that of the over 41 million people, 1.5 million are older persons. But the figures are projected to hit 5.5 million by 2050.

The post Aging without social protection: Story of 100-year-old Lawino appeared first on The Other Voice.

Captured on a brown leather studio chair, Catherine Ooka carried her three month-old-baby as she made it to the waves at a local radio station in Busia.

A moment captured by her, the 27-year-old shared her struggle juggling her postpartum recovery, her weekly days’ show of 6-10pm, her Sunday show of 4pm to 7pm and her lactating schedule of a 12 weeks’ old baby.

Usually, no matter the delivery, because of the body trauma, the body needs at least 6-8 weeks to fully recover. However, this is no guarantee as different bodies react differently and may thus require more rest, good diet as well as a break to recuperate but also ensure proper growth for the new born.

The first two years after childbirth, therefore, remain a very crucial and sensitive period for both the mother and child’s well-being.

Dr Alfred Jatho (PhD), Head of Department Community Cancer Services, Uganda Cancer Institute explains that a woman having her first pregnancy at less than 30 years, and breastfeeding for up to two years reduces the risk of hormone-dependent breast cancer.

 Dr Jatho stresses that failure to breastfeed has been noted as a leading cause to the expansion and inflammation of breast tissues, thus increasing the risk of breast cancer in many women.

Hormone-dependent breast cancer (HDBC), also known as hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, is a type of breast cancer which is driven by hormones such as estrogen and progesterone with estimates of 70-80% of breast cancers and making it the most common type of breast cancer.

Dr Doreen Mazakpwe a breastfeeding expert, additionally noted that throughout the breastfeeding practice, a woman’s body produces a collasitine hormone that helps oppose estrogen, a hormone that is well known for driving the cancer cells.

Mazakpwe explains that most women who breastfeed experience hormonal changes during lactation that delay their menstrual period. The delay, reduces a woman’s lifetime exposure to hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which are likely to promote breast cancer cell growth.

“As long as you are breastfeeding and your periods have not yet returned, the estrogen levels are really low. Generally speaking, women are not fertile when breastfeeding and they don’t ovulate a lot unlike those that are not breastfeeding,” she said.

An increase in the lactation period has thus proved a great opportunity to lower hormones that drive the cancer cells in the body as a result of their imbalances.

Dr Mazapwe thus emphasized the need to support nursing women with sustainable solutions such as providing them with the right information and resources, including among others providing breastfeeding facilities for the working mothers, promoting good rest and also a balanced diet.

“One cannot be limited from fulfilling their reproductive role just to fulfill the productive roles, there is a lot that different stakeholders need to do, including creating a policy that supports nursing mothers by at least sacrificing the first crucial six months,” she emphasized.

According to Uganda’s working policy, women are entitled to only three months of maternity leave.

The World Health Organization(WHO) suggests that only 20% of countries require their employers to provide employees with paid breaks and facilities for breast feeding or expressing milk.

Mr. Bernard Lubega, Assistant Commissioner for Culture and Family was optimistic of the change in trend and that government was mooting for the review of two policies, including the culture policy and the family policy which embeds the maternity leave of at least six months mandatory after birth.

He revealed that while the implementation may vary from institution to institution, at end of the day that would be an assurance to the many struggling women and an emphasis that being a mother comes not as a luxury but a duty also to the nation.

With the right policy therefore, Dr. Jatho notes that breastfeeding could lower both pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer risks with an additional protection, especially for those practicing longer than the recommended six months of exclusive breastmilk.

Dr. Jatho added the practice could as well help lower the ovarian cancer risk by preventing ovulation because the less a woman ovulate, the less exposure to estrogen and abnormal cells that could become cancer.

On the side of babies, he pointed out to the fact that breastfeeding reduces the risk of being overweight or obese later in life. Being overweight or obese was more likely to increase the risk of developing many types of cancers.

Breastfeeding thus strengthens the child’s immune system through the antibodies passed from breast milk to the child, which helps lower the child’s risk of several infections, including ear infections, respiratory, digestive system health conditions, and allergies.

It is, however, important to note that besides pregnancy before age of 30 years and breastfeeding, there are other measures that can reduce breast cancer risks. These among others may include; healthy diet, healthy (normal) body weight, being physically active for at least 30 minutes daily for at least 5 days per week and not drinking alcohol.

The post Is breastfeeding a natural remedy for cancer? appeared first on The Other Voice.

Eight years down the road, an empty promise still haunts the future of many young girls in Uganda.

 In 2015, while on his campaign trail, President Museveni pledged to provide sanitary pads to all primary girls. The free sanitary pad distribution exercise was expected to start in the 2017/2018 financial year when the promise was backtracked only to find that there were no funds to cater for the project.

During the same financial year, a short lived campaign dubbed Pads-For-Girl-Child Uganda” to fundraise money for pads meant for school going girls led by now exiled politician and activist Dr. Stella Nyanzi, together with other stakeholders was frustrated on allegations of being an independent move that sidelined the line ministry headed by First Lady Janet Museveni.

Post Covid-19, a similar project to donate menstrual hygiene kits in refugee camps known as Keep a Girl in School run by the Red Cross Society and funded by the UHSR was also halted due to the financial constraints.

The absence of a properly aligned structure to tackle this challenge and the ever shrinking space concerning the access to safe means of managing menstruation also known as Period Poverty has thus for over the years had a significant effect on the education, health and dignity of millions of women and girls globally but much felt in the less developed countries.

In Uganda alone, over 18% of girls are reported missing out on school each academic year with stigma around menstrual hygiene reported as one of the leading causes of school dropouts, with many resorting to using inappropriate materials such as rugs torn from their old clothes, papers, pieces of old mattress foam, and leaves.

John Cliff Wamala, the deputy spokesperson Uganda Red Cross Society, recalls how most of the girls in Namutumba, a place that initiated the Keep the Girl in School projects in Busoga sub-region where many young girls had resorted to using sugarcane huskies as sanitary napkins during their periods.

For many Ugandans who live below the poverty line, buying a regular pad that cost around $1(Shs3500) is something that many girls could not afford. The reusable pads that could have saved the day came at a slightly higher price and also carry a clean water burden to maintain them.

“Most of these young girls that couldn’t afford the pads were being deceived by young boys in exchange for sex. And for older women, they used to make matrix from cut off of clothes, blankets and substitute for pads but would end up getting infected,” Wamala notes.

To help tackle this, the Uganda Red Cross Society has embarked on a journey to establish mini reusable pad manufacturing plants across the country. The Manufacturing Plant – for instance like that in Namakwa, Mukono District – aims at significantly improving the lives of up to 50,000 Ugandan girls and women manufacturing 200,000 re-usable sanitary pads annually.

Of the 200,000, 20% will be given to 10,000 vulnerable girls in school, free of charge – directly helping to tackle missed educational opportunities for girls with the rest sold to the wider community at a subsidized price in addition to training in making and marketing these pads to ensure the long-term viability of the manufacturing facility.

“Because the challenge goes beyond central Uganda, we shall have regional mini manufacturing plants across board. We have a branch network of over 51 and Red Cross reaches to the last person at the village level due to our volunteer base of close to 500,” Wamala says.

The training offered, especially to teenage mothers who are also school dropouts, aims to not only restore hope of the vulnerable girls who will receive free reuse pads but also equip young girls with skills to make their own and impart the knowledge to others in hard-to-reach areas.

Atuhurra Angella Marjorie, the Founder and CEO Safe Girl Initiative Uganda, explained that for a country to grow its economy, local manufacturers needed to take upon the initiative of producing what is demanded by the market.

Atuhurra explained that while most of the pads are imported, it was empowering that local innovators came up to bridge the gap which will eventually be able to supply to match the demand.

She noted that producing reusable sanitary pads is environmentally friendly practice and that government should also embrace the strategy and offer the much needed support.

“If the government can come in and support even with the other agencies helping, the local manufactures can supply free pads and the government should ensure a stable supply of clean and safe water to enable proper use of these sanitary towels.”

She said menstrual hygiene is such an important issue that required support from all stakeholders, including men.

Through sensitization, she believes many will get to understand but also appreciate the dynamics of being a woman and also break the barriers and stigma around menstruation to a point where sanitary pads are given out for free just like condoms in most public places.

The post Sanitary Pad Plants a solution to Uganda’s Period Poverty appeared first on The Other Voice.

Fourteen-year-old Janet, a Primary Six pupil of Panyikworo Primary School in Bungatira Sub County, Gulu District is well aware of the ‘period shaming’ schoolgirls in her age group endure. It is the reason schoolgirls in rural schools are still ashamed of menstruation –  a natural occurrence that is deemed a taboo in some settings.

The stigma around menstruation has greatly affected the education of girls, especially those in rural areas who cannot afford sanitary pads, which forces some of them to drop out of school. According to Janet, the solution lies in deliberate efforts to end the stigma and period shaming in schools. At Panyikworo Primary School, out of 1,203 pupils, there are 550 girls. 53 have sat for PLE and left the school.

Janet noted that educating boys on menstrual health can have a positive impact. “I have reusable sanitary pads. I usually wash them clean, dry them in the sun, and iron [them] before [using] them. I have heard of girls who were forced to marry after they started menstruating… but I was lucky because my mother used to buy sanitary pads for me. She prepared me for puberty too,” said Janet, who was among hundreds of pupils who received skills on how to make reusable sanitary pads in 2022.

A study conducted in 2022 by Plan International indicates that more than 1 in 3 boys think periods should be kept a secret. In a survey of 4,127 boys and young men from four countries – Brazil, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Uganda – the most common reason cited for avoiding the topic was that menstruation is a ‘private matter’ for girls and women.

According to the World Bank, the onset of puberty results in significant changes for girls, noting that menstruation is the most dramatic sign of girls’ puberty, which affects their socialization with family and community and has a significant impact on their education.  The report further indicates that 1 in 10 school-age African girls skip school during menstruation or drop out entirely because they lack access to necessary sanitary products.

Mr Denis Okot, the head teacher of Cwero Primary School in Paicho Sub-county in Gulu District, said provision of reusable sanitary pads in school has been of immense help for girls.  “Our girls used to drop out of school because they do not have sanitary materials to manage their periods. But now, they are able to make them by themselves and stay in school comfortably without much challenge,” he adds.

He also noted that training 30 boys and 30 girls in 2022 in making reusable pads was a game changer in keeping girls in school. “The girls and boys were trained on how to make sanitary pads using sewing machines and sewing by hand. So, right now, we have girls and boys who are able to make reusable sanitary pads. The boys make it and supply it to the girls and their sisters at home,” he said.

The school has also seen improved performance among upper classes. According to Okot, more girls have received prizes from the school authorities for better performances than the boys. Cwero Primary School has an enrolment of 1,291 pupils with 65 percent being girls. The school has a changing room and senior male and female teachers to sensitize pupils about menstruation.

Gladys, a Primary Six pupil of Awach Primary School in Gulu District also emphasizes the positive impact of reusable sanitary pads, noting that schoolgirls from poor families can now pursue their dreams. “I think my dream is now within my grasp. I want to be a teacher. With pads now available, I am very hopeful that my dream will come true. During my menstrual cycle, I used not to come to school. But not anymore. I have also understood that menstruation is normal.  I urge the government to provide free sanitary pads to girls from poor families so that more girls can menstruate with dignity,” she said.

In 2015, the Ministry of Education and Sports issued a set of guidelines to all schools specifying the actions to take in a bid to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management in schools. The Ministry acknowledges that Menstrual Hygiene Management is a key issue that affects the retention, performance and completion of girls in school.

Research has established a critical link between girls’ school dropout rates and the challenges they face during menstruation. Many girls, lacking access to sanitary towels, skip school due to the fear of embarrassment and discomfort.

In a 2012 study conducted by the International Rescue Centre, it was revealed that one in ten menstruating girls misses school for four days every month, adding up to a total of approximately 24 days per year. Menstrual hygiene activists have been relentless in their efforts to advocate for the government to provide free sanitary towels to all girls, much like the government’s distribution of free condoms to promote safe sex.

While campaigning in Lango sub-region in northern Uganda in 2015, President Museveni pledged to give all schoolgirls across the country free sanitary pads. The President was soliciting for votes ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Later, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni, took up the matter.

However, in January 2020, she told Parliament that the presidential pledge to supply sanitary pads to primary schools may not materialize in the near future. She noted that supplying schoolgirls with free sanitary pads requires huge amounts of funds. In October, while addressing the National Youth Convention, the Education minister also complained about the name of the reusable pads; “Africa Pad” possibly referring to AfriPad – the largest, certified producer of reusable pads in Uganda – claiming it was degrading to Africa. Furthermore, she wondered whether if it was hygienic for the girls to use reusable sanitary pads.

Ms Sharon Laker Balmoyi, the Gulu District Woman Member of Parliament said parents should not allow girls to miss school simply because the government has not started distributing free sanitary pads. “At one point, the President promised that he would supply free sanitary pads to schoolgirls but this has not yet started. I think there should be a way out. Girls should not miss school simply because of lack of sanitary pads. I appeal to parents, well-wishers, and the NGOs to join hands together and fight period poverty,” she said.

According to Hope Centre Uganda, a not-for-profit organization that provided free reusable sanitary pads to 12,000 schoolgirls in Gulu, Amuru, Nwoya and Amuru under the Girls’ Power Project since 2016, poor menstrual hygiene management among schoolgirls results in four to five days of absence from school per month. The organization notes that, 80 percent of schoolgirls in rural areas cannot access sanitary pads.

Ms Kevin Okumu, the Country Director of Hope Centre Uganda, said between 10-15 percent of girls in Acholi sub-region drop out of school over failure to manage menstruation. She said the provision of free sanitary pads can cut the dropout rate among girls to 7 percent. “There is a lot of stigmatization around periods. In the event that a girl experiences menstruation while in school without having a sanitary pad, she will feel humiliated. She will have low self-esteem. She will definitely drop out of school. Sometimes girls will end up changing schools to escape the shame,” she says.

Ms Okumu reiterates the need to address the myths around menstruation. “We need to continue with this conversation until we achieve universal access to sanitary pads. Every girl should be able to access pads no matter their background,” she said.

SIDEBAR

In 2014, the United Nations declared May 28 of every year as Menstrual Hygiene Day in recognition of the woes girls and women experience during menstruation. This was a reaffirmation of the world’s commitment to create more befitting living conditions for girls and women. Uganda commemorated the first Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2014 and in August of the same year held the first International Menstrual Hygiene Management Conference, in Kampala.

The post Reusable sanitary pads can keep girls in school appeared first on The Other Voice.

Although a survey conducted in Acholi sub-region by The Aids Support Organization (TASO), indicates that there has been a reduction in new cases of HIV infections among young people in the sub-region, infections among young women remain high.

Ramila Akello, a Youth Peer Supporter at TASO Youth Clinic in Gulu City, said it is time for parents in Acholi sub-region to break their silence and talk to their children about sex and HIV. Ms Akello says young people are on their own when it comes to sex education.

“My parents never sat me down to talk about sex. They never told me the consequence of engaging in sexual activities at a very young age.  I heard about sex when I was in school,” Akello says.

She notes that because sex is a taboo, parents are afraid to bring up the matter with their children. “I think they (parents) think if you talk about sex with your children, they might be tempted to experiment. That could be one of the reasons why parents do not talk to their children about sex and its consequences,” she notes.

With HIV infections rising, it is time for parents to break their silence and confront the reality.

“It will be too late if parents do not break their silence now. The consequence is that it will frustrate the fight against HIV, especially among young people,” she adds.

Dan Muori, a Youth Counselor agrees with Akello. He said his parents never discussed anything to do with sex with him. “For young boys, they learn about sex from their playmates. That is why in school, you see boys in a clique. They will discuss sex and other related issues among themselves. A parent will get surprised that his son or daughter has already had sex,” he says.

He also noted that it is difficult for an African parent to find one acceptable word to describe sex in the local language. “May be if we find a suitable word which does not sound vulgar to describe sex, the young generation can be saved from the HIV,” he adds.

He also blamed absentee parents, busy work schedules and broken social fabrics for the rising cases of HIV among young people (women and girls).

According to the survey conducted by TASO, new HIV infections reduced from 11,358 in 2017 to 3,175 in 2021. This translates into a reduction rate of 72 percent.

A new report reveals that new cases of HIV in the region had reduced by 72 percent from 11,358 in 2017 to just 3,175 in 2021.

Meanwhile approximately 570 young women aged 15 to 24 get infected with HIV every week in Uganda. This is according to UNAIDS. In Africa, Uganda is only second to South Africa where 2,363 individuals get infected every week.

Approximately 1.4 million adults in Uganda are living with HIV.

Collins Chua Kisembo, a psychologist working with Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development, said like any parent on the African continent, parents in Acholi sub region are being confronted with the harsh reality of children learning about sex from the Internet and their peers. “Elders think children are too young to know about sex. They think if you tell a child about sex, young people will want to explore it. This fear makes elders too reluctant to engage the young ones in discussion related to sex,” he says.

Kisembo adds that in African societies, sex is generally shrouded in secrecy. But he warned that with children experimenting at a very young age, parents must break their silence and discuss the issue. He cautioned that it will be regrettable if children end up pregnant or infected with sexually transmitted infections because parents failed to provide them with the information they need to protect themselves.

With rising cases of new HIV infections among young women and girls, parents in Acholi sub region are now torn between confronting their children with topics around sex and reproductive health and breaking the taboo.

Walter Okema, the Centre Program Manager, The Aids Support Organization Gulu Regional Centre, advised that if parents do not open up about sex education, the children will end up getting ‘junk information’ about sex from their friends, social media and the Internet, adding that children could learn about sex from people with bad intentions.

He called on parents to empower their children with the right message so that they are able to sieve between facts and misleading information about sex. He also noted that although sex is sacred among the Acholi people, this does not do away with the fact that young people are having sex.

“We should not leave teachers with the responsibility of teaching our children sex education,” he emphasizes.

Mr Alex Oyet, the coordinator of Ker Kwaro Acholi (the Acholi cultural institution), says although sex is a taboo, wangoo (fireplace) was in the past used to teach morals in young boys and girls.  According to Oyet, a fireplace was considered a traditional school. “Young women were told not to engage in any kind of sexual activities until they were of age. Sex with relatives was also forbidden. It is incest. Sex was also meant for adults only,” he stresses. 

“An uncle would tell his sister’s son who has clocked the marriage age of 21 not to go around sleeping with any girls. An uncle will also tell his nephew to be aware of unwanted pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections,” he says.  

He adds that cultural leaders should have been more involved in the fight against HIV for a more wholesome approach.

“Cultural leaders and traditional beliefs were dismissed as ancient and not scientific. But we have adopted these beliefs and dealt with the problem of HIV. As traditional leaders, we believe in science too. So, we need to combine our efforts so that we curb HIV,” he says.

Mr Kennedy Ochola, a resident of Pabbo Town Council in Amuru District, admitted that there are gaps in equipping children with the knowledge they require to mpower them say no to sex.

Ochola, who is a father of four, said raising children in a proper manner has remained a challenge for many parents because sex-related topics are rarely discussed.

“The silence has failed children. This is one of the reasons why young children are engaging in sex at a young age. Parents, leaders and teachers need to come together and help our children so that they become responsible adults,” he adds.

However, Anthony Ojok Ochola, a family counselor strongly urged parents to arm their children with knowledge about sex and their bodies.

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A woman finds her husband defiling their 6-year-old daughter. In shock, anger and confusion, she reports the incident to local authorities. She receives no immediate redress. Instead, she was called names and her in-laws ostracized her. Together with her seven children, the 47-year-old woman was banished from her matrimonial home in Rubaare Town Council, Ntungamo District, by her in-laws. 

Her husband, the accused, was eventually arrested after a protracted struggle. But that marked the beginning of the woman’s despair.

“I have been living [in a violent relationship] with my husband; he has been beating me whenever he becomes drunk and there is no office we have never reached to resolve our issues. When I found him sleeping with our child and reported it, everyone thought I was mad, but when I took him before the village elders, he admitted it before his in-laws but told me to take it to the police. This was hard for me,” she narrates.

She says this was not the first time she found her husband defiling their daughters but at a meeting of elders and locals, she was asked to forgive him for defiling their 12-year-old daughter, an elder sister to the six-year-old he had earlier been accused of defiling. 

When she reported the incident to police, that is when the in-laws turned against her, and hid the man from arrest for a whole year. This is after he publicly admitted the offenses to his relatives in a meeting.

“My in-laws organized a meeting attended by police officers from Ntungamo Police Family and Child Protection where we were forced to separate and sign a consent of separation before the police officers, who threatened to arrest me if I don’t (comply),” she says.

After separation, she sought the intervention of a legal aid organization, Uganda Network for Human rights and HIV/AIDS (UGANET) to have her husband arrested and arraigned before court.

He was finally arrested on May 1, 2023 and arraigned in court and has been on remand since then on charges of aggravated defilement. He has been appearing in court for mention of his case as police conclude investigations. He will reappear in court on 16 October for further mention of the case.

For the evicted family, however, these are trying times. Following the man’s arrest, the in-laws, according to the woman, continue to threaten, insult and even assault her and her children. They have also been banned from the land and properties they had been given by the family during the meeting where they were forced to separate before the husband was arrested.

She was assaulted by some in-laws on February 3 as she tried to sell a cow to take one of their children, who is in S4, to school. The case was reported to the police. Her current landlord has also given her a written notice to vacate the premises, citing threats from her in-laws.

One of her in-laws is the village chairperson while another one serves as a district councilor for Rubaare Town Council.

They, however, say the accuser is using the defilement case to have her husband simply incarcerated for long because of standing family disagreements. He says they have not been threatening the woman though they (in-laws) have been trying to mediate and see how the family matters can be resolved without affecting the children more.

“She is our wife and we can’t dismiss our children from home, but we are mediating to see that this does not affect everyone. No one has dismissed her from her home. These two have been having too much violence between them and the woman is using the defilement case to turn things around,” he says.

Ms Asumpta Ekyakunzire, the Uganet Coordinator for Ntungamo District, says while the case was reported in 2022, the accused could only be arrested in 2023, meaning there was a lot of mystery to the case.

“What we asked ourselves before being involved was why it had taken so long to arrest the suspect yet the case had evidence on file, including the police form by a medical doctor proving penetrative sex on the victim. When he was arrested then the in-laws started visiting all offices to [get] him out. There are many women silently suffering there because they fear [backlash from their communities],” Ekyakunzire says.

The Ntungamo District police commander, Mr Hannington Bushaija Kanimi, says domestic violence is the second leading cause of many crimes, especially those at family level including murder.

The Ntungamo Woman Member of Parliament, Ms Josyline Kamateneti, notes that more effort is needed, especially at local and civic level to sensitize families and look for tangible remedies against sex and gender-based violence in the district.

The post Banished for speaking out against defilement of her daughters by husband appeared first on The Other Voice.

Journalism Journey:

After obtaining a Bachelor’s of Journalism from Makerere University, Caroline Nakazibwe embarked on her journalism journey with the tenacity of a lioness on the prowl, tirelessly seeking out story ideas that would captivate her readers. Her initial foray into journalism with the Daily Monitor provided her with invaluable experience and exposure, eventually leading her to find her passion as a health reporter. With dedication and perseverance, Nakazibwe explored topics tailored to every reader’s preference.

During her formative years as a reporter, Nakazibwe vividly recalls a story that challenged societal norms and values, creating waves both within the newsroom and among her sources. The story revolved around a non-heterosexual couple in Kyambogo entangled in a domestic violence case, a case brought to Nakazibwe’s attention by local leaders. Convincing her editors to cover the story was an uphill battle, as was gaining the trust of her sources, given Uganda’s stance on the rights of sexual minorities. After numerous negotiations, an interview was secured, with the condition of protecting the couple’s identity.

Reflecting on this story, Nakazibwe emphasized the importance of shedding light on such issues. “These are matters we cannot ignore. While their relationship might be deemed illegal, we cannot overlook the potential loss of life due to domestic violence. It is our duty to inform the public and policymakers about these realities,” Nakazibwe says.

Sexual Harassment in Newsrooms

The media industry has long grappled with a gender imbalance, with male journalists outnumbering their female counterparts. Nakazibwe points out that sexual harassment is a common problem, leading many female journalists to leave newsrooms in pursuit of alternative opportunities in public relations and other fields.

Nakazibwe herself remembers an incident where a supervisor made inappropriate advances towards her. Such occurrences often act as preconditions for favors, and some reporters are pressured until they concede. Nakazibwe notes that harassment affects female journalists at every level, from trainees and interns to editors and managers. Harassment, she explains, can come from both colleagues at work and sources in the field.

To combat this issue, Nakazibwe advocates for comprehensive education on journalists’ rights and various forms of sexual harassment. “When female journalists are empowered to set boundaries for their male counterparts, they can identify and address workplace harassment, ensuring their safety,” she asserts.

Gender Pay Disparities

With over two decades of experience in journalism, Nakazibwe has risen from a reporter to an editor. She is among the journalists that left the Daily Monitor when the late Kevin Aliro parted ways with Monitor Publications and, together with Nakazibwe, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and others, established the Observer Media, a weekly publication in Uganda. Their aim was to further expand the realm of journalism in the country.

Yet, despite her journey from reporter to editor to manager, Nakazibwe has witnessed persistent gender pay disparities that discourage female journalists from thriving in newsrooms.

“Both men and women can hold the same positions within a company, but male counterparts often receive higher pay. This inequity demotivates many female journalists, as they feel their contributions are undervalued,” Nakazibwe stresses.

Finding Solutions  

Nakazibwe believes that addressing these issues can help retain more female journalists in the profession. She highlights the need to close the gender pay gap, combat sexual harassment, and garner public support for the profession’s growth and transformation. In her view, journalism serves the greater good, and the public has a duty to support its development.

Under WAN-IFRA  – Women in News, Nakazibwe is one of the journalists championing solutions to address the vice. This has seen her and others empower newsrooms to set up and implement sexual harassment policies and ensure that complaints are addressed.

Nakazibwe and “The Sex Talk”:

If you’re a regular reader of the Observer newspaper and in a committed relationship, you’re likely familiar with “The Sex Talk.” Many couples rely on this column to navigate the complexities of maintaining healthy marriages and reigniting intimacy and love.

During her tenure as a health reporter at the Daily Monitor, Nakazibwe received an assignment from her editor, David Ouma Balikowa, to create a column addressing frequently asked questions about reproductive health. Nakazibwe soon noticed that the majority of feedback came from married individuals seeking guidance on sexual matters. Thus, the column evolved into “The Sex Talk.”

Even when she moved to the Observer, Nakazibwe continued to pen this influential column.

“I realized it was making a difference in people’s lives and marriages. Whenever I contemplate discontinuing it, I receive emails from individuals and couples whose lives were positively impacted by something I wrote,” Nakazibwe shares.

Caroline Nakazibwe’s remarkable two-decade journey in journalism has not only illuminated critical social issues but also inspired change within the media industry itself. Her unwavering dedication, advocacy against sexual harassment, and commitment to bridging gender disparities serve as a testament to her legacy in Ugandan journalism.

The post 20 years of journalism: The remarkable career of Caroline Nakazibwe appeared first on The Other Voice.

Racheal Anyango vividly recalls the day she missed school because all the motorcycles she hailed declined to take her, forcing the 23-year-old Kyambogo University student to move to a hostel to ease her commutes to the campus.

Anyango, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Community Development and Social Justice says she got sudden paralysis in 2017 when she was preparing to do her Senior Six examinations. Since then, she has been using a wheelchair.

“I was shocked because I never [imagined that] I would get paralyzed. I never got sick [or suffered from a disease for a long time], it was just sudden,” Anyango narrates.

Since then, life has never been easy for Anyango.

Education journey

Following her paralysis, Anyango dropped out of school for over two years because she could not navigate the school environment as a student with disability.  It was more difficult because her peers had known her before the paralysis and seeing herself in a wheelchair while her peers were playing and running around was traumatizing.

When she returned to school two years after she suffered paralysis, reality sunk in. The school environment wasn’t user-friendly for People with Disabilities (PWDs).

“At first, the school had no ramps, but when they were reconstructed, the classes were accessible; even the toilets were accessible because we had one special toilet,” says Anyango. She adds that many times all lessons were conducted in one class because of her situation. This is because not all classes were accessible. 

 At Kyambogo University, Anyango says the situation is better. She says within her faculty, all buildings are accessible, the only challenge being the state of the roads within the campus. She explains: “[It is difficult for me to access lectures, especially when it rains. Sometimes I don’t attend [lectures],” Anyango narrates.

The mobility challenges within the campus pale in comparison to the difficulties Anyango faces while using public transport, especially when she would commute from Luzira to go for lectures at Kyambogo University using boda bodas. After classes, friends would push her in a wheelchair to a taxi stage. They would advise her to take a taxi with them but this soon proved a challenge. Anyango says she would pay for both her seat and her wheelchair and friends would often contribute to her transport cost. She describes using public transport as a nightmare for people using wheelchairs.

One fateful morning, after a boda boda rider had dropped her at the taxi stage, Anyango says a taxi driver stopped to pick her but the conductor made a comment that broke her heart. He told the driver: “Tugende; ono ajja tukuba ebisirani bya bwerere ku makya kuno” meaning “let’s go; this one will give us bad omens for nothing this early morning”.

 “One of the biggest challenges wheelchair users face in Uganda is the derogatory language these taxi guys use when they find you on the road. Those words make you [miserable and traumatized]”, says Anyango.

Accessing a motorcycle, explains Anyango, can take you almost half an hour because some of them refuse to take her and “many of them see our assistive devices as an inconvenience…If you get one, then he will overcharge you because he knows you have no option. [This means paying highly] for public transport,” she says.

What Government Should Do

Anyango suggests that every public building should at least have a ramp for wheelchair users. She says while elevators could also work, ramps are more convenient and always accessible.

She adds that PWDs deserve respect. “Some people are too rude, they undermine us and ignore us. Training should be given to all public servants specifically on how to treat PWDs and stop discrimination.

“I know my rights but I don’t fully utilize them because of the unconducive environment. For instance, I have rights just like any other human being as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) but [when I go to] places like hospitals, nurses sometimes treat us badly; they even ask us how we climb beds to get pregnant. I’m not yet a mother but this is often faced by friends who are mothers,” Anyango narrates.

She further says before any building is constructed, responsible government departments should ensure the plans take into consideration accessibility for PWDs. She notes that PWDs should be included on committees of Building Control Acts to ensure their needs are met.

What Government Says

Robert Kisakye, a senior licensing officer at the Ministry of works & transport, says relevant laws such as the Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998 (Amendment) Act, 2020, and The Persons with Disabilities Act, 2020 clearly define how everyone has a right to access and usability of the road.

Kisakye specifically singles out The Persons with Disabilities Act, 2020 saying it requires every public means of transport to be accommodative and ensure PWDs can access vehicles. He adds that PWDs should not be charged for their assistive devices.

“The only challenge is that our vehicles do not yet have walkways that PWDs can [use] to access their means but we are working on it. Now that we have the laws, even the designs are going to be implemented.

Secondly, when you look at the newly constructed roads, we now [cater for] everyone that uses the road, including PWDs. That’s why we now have walkways strictly for PWDs where they can access the road freely and safely. Our remaining task is to put them into action,” says Kisakye.

He advises that motorists have to be considerate as well. “When you find a PWD crossing [the road], you have to be extra careful. When you look at our traffic lights, some of them have buttons where PWDs can press and communicate to motorists to stop for a visually impaired person to cross at his or her own pace.”

He points out that there is a need for sensitization on some of these features on our roads. He cautions that failure to adhere to these regulations attracts penalties. 

Mylean Kyomuhendo shares Anyango’s challenges in accessing public buildings. She says some PWDs would, for instance, be interested in opening businesses in shopping malls but some malls are not accessible to PWDs. “Some of us get capital to start a business but it’s challenging to be carried from the first floor to the third floor to ease yourself.  This is happening because people are not following the laws…the engineers, supervisors: you’re all doing us injustice,” says Kyomuhendo

She also highlights the accessibility challenges in hospitals and attitudes of some medical personnel who ask insensitive and rude questions.  Additionally, she points out the challenges that come with using taxis and toilets in the markets which are not user friendly for PWDs.

Kyomuhendo calls upon government entities to ensure laws that accommodate interests and rights of PWDs are implemented and respected. She says inaccessible buildings would not have been in place if the owners adhered to the set building standards.

The post Agony of using Public Transport as a Person With Disability appeared first on The Other Voice.