Kabarole gives girls life skills
Life skills. Girls undergo a tailoring training at Buhimba Technical Institute in Kikuube District on Saturday.
PHOTO BY FRANCIS MUGERWA
What you need to know:
- Issue. The empowerment is aimed at helping girls on how to overcome challenges during the menstrual periods that are a big cause of school drop out.
KABAROLE. More than 500 primary school girls in Kabarole District have been empowered in life skills as one of the ways of having them complete education.
The empowerment was in line with a series of activities that marked the International Day of Girl Child that is celebrated every October 11.
The girls were drawn from different primary schools in Kabarole District.
The exercise was done by non-governmental organisations under their umbrella body Girls Not Brides Uganda with the aim of helping girls to overcome challenges.
It involved teaching girls how to make re-usable pads that last for three years and on how to avoid teenage pregnancies while in school.
More advocacy needed
The Kabarole District Education Officer, Ms Elizabeth Kasenene, observed the need to advocate for promotion of girl child life skills and ensure that they complete the education cycle.
She said many girls drop out of school because some of them do not have pads to use during their menstrual periods which affects their education.
The Kabarole District Inspector of Schools, Mr Joseph Rujumba, said there is need for team work between parents and teachers to see that girls complete school.
The Kabarole District Community Development Officer, Mr Chris Monday, said there is need for the civil societies to advocate for an ordinance on child marriage in local governments.
He said many local governments do not have ordinances to guide them on how to deal with the perpetrators who marry off school-going girls.
The coordinator of Girls Not Brides in western Uganda, Mr Geoffrey Bangirana, observed that child marriage remains a big issue that calls for serious awareness to change the minds of people and implementers to enforce the laws at all levels.
At Kazingo SDA Primary School in 2017, a total of 18 girls of 50 that were enrolled in Primary One completed primary education and in 2018, a total of 20 girls are in Primary Seven ready to sit for Primary Leaving Examination of 63 girls who started Primary One at the school.
