Fighting for the girl-child

Rehmah Kasule has a unique taste when it comes to issues of girl-child human rights. She speaks passionately about the suffering of young girls, especially among the impoverished homes.

It is this sense of volunteering activism for the young girls in communities, schools and empowering young single mothers out of poverty that has earned her the 2014 Goldman Sachs/Fortune Global Women Leaders’ award of the year.

Kasule was crowned the winner of the Goldman Sachs/Fortune Global Women Leaders’ award in California, USA.

She becomes the first East African activist to scoop this award and the only African to win it this year, beating more than 40 qualifiers from other countries around the world.

Growing up in an impoverished family exposed Kasule to many challenges as a girl such as having to improvise with clothes to cater for sanitary towels. These are some of the things she tries to protect other girls from.

Her background is what has greatly influenced her reasoning and strong feelings towards issues of equal opportunities for the girls in the country.

She, for instance, solicits funds from well-wishers to buy sanitary pads for remote village school girls. “I feel strongly that the power of female friendship can change the world, men and children look to them for mentoring, as do other women. If girls are given the right keys, they can drive in the right direction and that is my vision to empower the girl-child to compete equally for opportunities in the world,” she says.

To use her own life as an illustration, Kasule says although she is a simple girl from Gomba, a small town in Mityana District, she has risen to realise her dreams, despite her unpleasant family background, and beaten all challenges to dine with presidents such as US’ Barrack Obama, in White House. “This is what inspires me. One’s background does not mean anything in terms of shaping someone’s destiny,” she stresses.

The 42-year-old mother of two runs several initiatives, which she says are all geared towards empowering the girl child, youth engagement and empowering women.

Her initiatives include the Rising Star Mentoring Program has seen more than 12,000 young girls impacted in skills development and self-discovery, and the UniAction Program that works with university students to prevent human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

She also operates the Youth Engaged Program, which has seen over 970 youths skilled and 200 single mothers mentored to become leaders and entrepreneurs.

“My aspirations are to let the young generation, especially the girls, realise and discover their potential early enough before they drop out of school,” she says.

“A programme such as Rising Star helps us to interact with and counsel young girls in high school. We train them in different skills such as management, give career guidance and self-discovery lessons,” she says, adding; “Gone are those days when women would not speak out in public. Women need to speak up and focus on their natural abilities.”

Kasule says she believes this generation is a generation for the women to thrive through empowerment, a cause for which she wants to be remembered.

“I want to be remembered as a teacher not necessarily one in class, but one changing people’s fortune,” she says.

Titbits
Family:
Born in 1972, Rehemah Kasule is married with two daughters.
Books:
From Gomba to the White House- the journey of an African Woman Entrepreneur and The Inspirational women of Uganda.
Education:
Bachelors Degree in Arts, MA Chartered Marketing.
Awards:
Tiaw, World of Difference 100 Award 2011 and Goldman Sachs/Fortune Global Women Leaders’ Award 2014.
Girl-child projects:
Raising Stars, Mentoring Walk and Youth Engaged Programme.