Empowerment project restores hope among teenage dropouts

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A sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) empowerment project has become a beacon of hope for adolescent school dropouts in Alur sub-region, especially in Pakwach district.

The sub-region that still has 26 percent teenage pregnancies is also grappling with an unprecedented number of school dropouts among adolescent girls.

As a result, a component of PROTECT-SRHR known as Girl Shine was developed to empower adolescent girls to make informed decisions.

One such beneficiary is Anirwoth Tracy, a 19-year-old Senior Two dropout from Pajobi central cell, Puvungu ward in Pakwach, who was forced to drop out of school due to pregnancy in 2021. After giving birth, she was unable to rejoin school because her father declined to support her education anymore.

Anirwoth, who gave birth to twins, was introduced to the Girl Shine group, the project's community-based interventions, which provided her with access to SRHR information and services where she gained knowledge on how to protect herself from early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

She also received socialisation skills that enabled her to speak freely in the community.

“I wanted to rejoin school, but my father refused to pay my school fees, yet the boy who impregnated me cannot afford to send me to school. So, when I joined the Girl Shine group, I gained knowledge to speak freely and say no to any engagements that may be detrimental to us, the girls," Anirwoth says.

She urges the partners to consider providing vocational skills for them so that they can make their own money and improve their livelihood.

“If they give us skills and we make our own money, we shall not go to the boys and men because it is money that takes us to them,” said Anirwoth.

The PROTECT-SRHR project, implemented by a consortium led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) with funding from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, focuses on building the capacity of adolescents to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

By providing SRHR education and services, the project aims to reduce the high teenage pregnancy rate of 26% in Alur Sub-region.

Through this support, adolescents like Anirwoth can now envision a brighter future and are empowered to make choices that benefit their health, education, and economic prospects.

The PROTECT-SRHR Project's impact extends beyond individual beneficiaries, contributing to a broader societal shift by engaging with community leaders and health facilities. The project promotes a culture of inclusivity and support for adolescents' health and rights.

Vocational skills training needed

Meanwhile, Tracy Kayeno, a 17-year-old P7 dropout, laments the decision taken by her father, who refused to pay her school fees due to poor performance.

Kayeno, now in her second year at home, finds peace in the Girl Shine group in the district after overcoming numerous temptations from boys and men.

“There is nothing I can do to overturn the decision taken by my father since there is nothing I can do to raise school fees but I was eventually convinced to join the girl shine program where we have been empowered on so many issues including life skills and this has made me to see life differently and I can now see a bright future,” Kayeno says.

Kayeno is, however, appealing to the partners to introduce them to vocational skills to help them get economically empowered by making their own money.

“I also want to appeal to them to cascade the program such that more adolescent girls who have dropped out of school can benefit too," Kayeno says.

Multifaceted

Emmanuel Okello, the PROTECT-SRHR Consortium Monitoring, Evaluation and Planning advisor, said the project is multifaceted with religious, political and cultural leaders brought on board.

“We aim to work with different stakeholders like religious, cultural and political leaders to reduce the preventable maternal deaths among the teenagers as well as reduce the HIV prevalence among these youngsters, and this kind of intervention encourages young people to be bold and make decisions for themselves and empower other girls who are going through the same experience," Okello said.

The Director of Child Protection for Nebbi Catholic Diocese, the Rev. Fr. Micheal Citia, describes the intervention as timely, saying that involving the religious leaders will help address the core issues of morals.

Jane Manano, the senior principal nursing officer (SPNO) at Nebbi General Hospital and the district Reproductive Health focal person, appealed to the district leadership to develop a sustainability plan by having a deliberate budget for adolescent-friendly services.

Jane Manano, the Senior Principal Nursing Officer (SPNO) Nebbi General Hospital and the district's reproductive health focal person. (Photo by Robert Adiga)

According to her, the health facility’s maternity ward has been overwhelmed with teenage mothers.

According to Manano, this has led to so many associated risks, mainly due to delayed reporting by the teenagers.

Manano says most of the teenage mothers are referred from neighbouring districts of Madi Okollo, Zombo, Pakwach, Nwoya, Buliisa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, leading to a shortage of medical supplies.

Mineral development state minister Piona Nyamutoro said Alur sub-region, which has one of the highest teenage pregnancy cases, needs a conducive environment to be created for the adolescents to complete the education cycle.

“When with speak of SRHR we are speaking about creating conducive environment for both boys and girls to complete education cycle without worry of what they have not prepared for and the COVID 19 showed us that while the girls were at home the teenage pregnancies shot up meaning there is a gap with the parents in responsible upbringing so that should be an eye opener for all of us,” Nyamutoro says.

The four-year PROTECT-SRHR project is expected to impact thousands of adolescents in the districts of Yumbe, Maracha, Terego, Koboko, Nebbi and Pakwach.