Zziwa asks church, State to promote girl- child education

By Mathias Mazinga

The former speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Margaret Nantongo Zziwa has asked the Church and state in Uganda to work together to protect and promote the girl-child.

She also asked the Church to make a clear pronouncement on the plight of the many girl-children who are collected from rural areas to work as house-girls in urban homes.

“The security of the girl-child has become increasingly of dire concern. Many children are defiled, raped and battered in homes. The challenges of domestic violence are now more frequent. Child-labour is another big problem.

Take for example situations where girls of 8 years carry heavy jerry cans of 20 litres and firewood for long distances increases the risks of the girl-child. Education and skill development is indeed the area we have to focus on, to fully empower the girl-child.”

Zziwa discusses a point with Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala at the 23rd Archbishop Dr. Joseph Nakabaale Kiwanuka Memorial Lecture at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, on Thursday.

Zziwa was delivering the 23rd Archbishop Dr. Joseph Nakabaale Kiwanuka Memorial Lecture at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, on Thursday.

The topic of the lecture was: The Contribution of Archbishop Dr. Joseph Nakabaale Kiwanuka towards the Education of the Girl-Child.

Zziwa further asked the Church and state to work towards the elimination of retrogressive cultural practices like commercialized bride-wealth and female genital mutilation, which continued to subject girls and women to physical/psychological trauma and dehumanisation.

Sekandi hands a gift to Prof. Maviiri at the 23rd Archbishop Dr. Joseph Nakabaale Kiwanuka Memorial Lecture at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, on Thursday.

The Vice President, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, who was the Chief Guest, praised Archbishop Kiwanuka for championing a harmonious partnership between the Catholic Church and State.

Ssekandi also praised Kiwanuka for championing the education of the girl-child, through the establishment of several girls’ schools in Masaka and Kampala.

The Archbishop of Kampala, Dr. Cyprian Kizio Lwanga decried the rampant abuse, manipulation and discouragement of the girl-child both in family and society.

“The girl-child has become an instrument in the global entertainment and advertisement industry.

Today the quest for external beauty and fashion has turned many young girls and women into vulnerable targets of consumerism. Decency in dress and conduct has greatly deteriorated.

The insatiable pornographic business both in print video and social media easily lures and exploits many young girls looking for fame and wealth as tools of the trade. Their bodies are no longer considered as precious temples of the Holy Spirit but means to their misguided dreams and the selfish ends of these multi-national business moguls.

Ssekandi hands a gift to Lubanga as Archbishop Kizito Lwanga looks on

Many of our girls are also victims of prostitution and human trafficking. These ways of exploitation need to be addressed out right not only by laws, but by a return to the cultural and spiritual values advocated by Archbishop Kiwanuka.

Archbishop Kiwanuka Memorial Lecture is organised annually by members of Lubaga Cathedral National Foundation.

During the function, some members of the foundation were recognised for their achievements during the last couple of years.

They included Chief Justice Bert Katurebe, Justine Kasule Lumumba (Secretary General, NRM), Matia Kasaija (Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Deevelopment, Fr. Dr. John Chrysostom Maviiri (UMU Chancellor), Dors Akol (URA Commissioner General), Francis Xavier Lubanga (UMI Governing Council Chairman), Dr. Mugisha(MD, National Water) and Dr. James Nkata (Chancellor, YMCA University).

Dr. Archbishop Joseph Kakabaale Kiwauka, who died in 1966, was the first ever Black African Bishop South of the Sahara. Formerly a bishop of Masaka and later Archbishop of Lubaga, Kiwanuka was a visionary church leader, who worked hard to promote girl-child education, democracy and national unity.
The lecture was also attended by Cardinal Wamala.