Museveni injects Shs 120m into Quiin Abenakyo’s foundation

What you need to know:

Child pregnancies increased to 25 percent as reflected in the 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey report. The report states that 24 percent of female teenagers are either pregnant or have given birth.

President Museveni has injected Shs 120m into Miss World-Africa Quiin Abenakyo’s foundations that strives to promote the wellbeing of girls through addressing issues on child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
Speaking at the launch of Quiin Abenakyo Foundation in Kampala on Monday evening, Mr Museveni blamed Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) for introducing charges in Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools, which are supposed to offer free education services.

He said this has discouraged parents from keeping girl children in school leading to high cases of early pregnancies and child marriages.

President Museveni (left) handing over a signed portrait from Quiin Abenakyo Foundation to the queen of Buganda, Ms Sylvia Nagginda during the launch of the foundation in Kampala

“They (PTA) are the ones who meet the businessman in town…the people who cannot afford to pay do not sit in the PTA. It is this local elite who decide and say no, although the government has said free education for us, each child should bring this amount and children are knocked out of school by that,” President Museveni said.
Mr Museveni advised Quiin Abenakyo, the former Miss Uganda to use the already existing structure of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to reach all parts of the country.

“The Foundation might not have enough structures to cover the whole country but there are these characters called RDCs. You can actually use those characters because they are everywhere and they are paid. Use the structures of government …,” the President said.

Child pregnancies increased to 25 percent as reflected in the 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey report. The report states that 24 percent of female teenagers are either pregnant or have given birth.
Miss Abenakyo said sexual reproductive rights should be communicated not only in schools so that people can understand when to have sex but also to end motherhood in childhood.

Quiin Abenakyo Foundation has urged all stakeholders to join the struggle to end teenage pregnancies and early marriage.
The Nnabagereka of Buganda, Ms Sylvia Nagginda urged Ugandans to embrace values and humanity to end child pregnancy.
Miss Abenakyo promised to “make the country proud.”