FAWE aids over 4,000 girls

Aug 18, 2009

THE Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWE) has supported over 4,000 girls from poor families to attain secondary and tertiary education in the last 10 years.

By Moses Nampala

THE Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWE) has supported over 4,000 girls from poor families to attain secondary and tertiary education in the last 10 years.

Professor Mary Okwakol, the organisation chairperson and vice-chancellor of Busitema University, said on Thursday that the organisation had drawn the beneficiaries from different parts of the country.

“These have been brilliant in academics but wouldn’t have been able to make it because they came from families that are less privileged,” said Okwakol.

She made the remarks at the annual celebrations of the organisation at Tororo Girls school on Friday.

She disclosed that the organisation had not only extended its financial support to girls, but also to 709 boys.

The organisation’s main objective is to ensure that more girls are supported to become part of the intellectual and technical human resource in Uganda.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “increased investment in girl children”.

The celebration was attended by students from various girl’s schools in Busia and Mbale districts, who recited poems and acted short plays.

In addition, individual students participated in a dialogue on the issues raised in a paper presented by Jovent Obbo, a lecturer at Bugema University.

Among the issues that attracted reactions from the students was the organisation’s plan to lobby for a policy that would enable pregnant girls to go back to school after delivery.

The students unanimously supported the idea and the efforts being undertaken by FAWE to have the policy enacted.

However, Obbo cautioned the students against taking advantage of the proposed policy to behave promiscuously.

She advised the girls to refrain from engaging in premarital sex and focus their effort on attaining quality education.

She regretted that only 21% of the girls were able to complete primary education in the country.

Obbo also lamented the poor retention of girls in secondary and tertiary institutions.

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