Cocoa pods hanging on a tree in a plantation. Photo | File
Gevina Asiimwe has always nursed a dream of becoming a nurse. However, the 16-year-old dropped out of school in Primary Five last year after she was impregnated by a man whose name she is not sure of.
The resident of Bukonzo sub-county in Bundibugyo district, is among over 2,940 girls, aged between 12 and 17, who are reporting for antenatal care at health facilities in the district this year.
“At the time, I did not have basic needs such as sanitary pads, and this forced me to get boyfriends at a young age. I do not know the man responsible for this pregnancy because I had three boyfriends at the same time. All of them have since denied responsibility,” the former student of Busamba Primary School says.
All of Asiimwe’s boyfriends worked on the vast cocoa farms in the district. Her friends have advised her to abort the pregnancy, however, Asiimwe has disregarded the advice because of the dangers involved in the illegal procedure.
Pamela Adongo, the district’s probation officer, says in November last year, Bundibugyo faced a record number of 2,000 teenage pregnancies in a period of six months. This year, the number shot to 2,940.
“Most of our girls are perishing down there (in the villages) and no one is fighting for them. The cases of child marriage increase significantly during the cocoa harvest season when men choose to marry girls below 18 years,” she says.
Adongo adds that in some cases, parents and guardians are influenced by money not to report the cases to the police. The issues only come to her office through rumours and when the health facilities forward data on the number of women receiving antenatal care in the district’s health facilities. Sometimes, cases of teenage pregnancy only come to her office when the girl’s parents fail to reach an agreement with the defiler.
According to the National Strategy to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy 2022/2023-2026/2027, Uganda’s teenage pregnancy rate has stagnated at 25 percent since 2016. However, teenage pregnancy is responsible for nearly one-fifty (18 percent) of the annual births in the country.
Nearly half of (46 percent) of the births by teenagers were unwanted pregnancies. Further, teenage pregnancy contributes 20 percent of the infant deaths and 28 percent of the maternal deaths.
The National Strategy further adds that 64 percent of women have sex before the age of 18, while 34 percent were married off before the age of 18. These high statistics have ensured that on a global scale, Uganda is ranked 16th among 25 countries with the highest rates of child marriage.
Profitable cocoa trade
Local leaders in Bundibugyo district say the trend is becoming worse, with some attributing it to the lucrative cocoa plantations that have exposed young girls to the big wallets of boys and men in the sector, who lure them into reckless sexual behavior.
According to statistics from the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Bundibugyo district is the leading cocoa producer in the country, accounting for about 70 percent of all cocoa exports. Cocoa is Uganda’s fourth-biggest commodity export after coffee, tea, and fish, with cocoa production seeing a steady increase over the last few years.
There are two cocoa seasons in the country, the major one being September to February while the second season runs from March to August.
Information from the Uganda Export Promotion Board shows that Uganda exported 30,752 tonnes of cocoa worth USD $64.5 in 2018. Currently, the farm gate price of freshly harvested cocoa beans is Shs25,000 per kilogram, while that of dry cocoa beans is Shs31,000 depending on the location and quality.
Joy Musoki, a Primary Six dropout of Masule Primary School, is now a mother of a seven-month-old baby girl. The father of her child is the son of a cocoa farmer who coaxed her with money from the harvest.
The 17-year-old laments the physical isolation and discrimination she has endured ever since she realised she was pregnant.
“It is a lesson I will never forget. I am my parents’ firstborn child, and they dreamt of a bright future for me. So, they were angry when I told them I was going to have a baby. The other girls in the village laughed at me,” she says.
Unlike some other teenage mothers, though, Musoki is determined to continue with her education when her child is old enough because her ambition is to become a lawyer.
“I did not want to have a baby before completing my studies, but my boyfriend was really supporting me, giving me the basic needs of life. I did not want to disappoint him, so I gave in to his advances,” she says.
Musoki’s boyfriend is also a student. He cannot afford to support his girlfriend and baby because he only gets money during the harvest period when he helps out on his father’s plantation.
However, child marriage and teenage pregnancy do not only affect girls. According to the National Strategy to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy 2022/2023-2026/2027, child marriage has significant negative effects on boys’ achievement in different capability domains.
Joy Musoki, 17, mother of a three-month-old child. PHOTO/LONGINO MUHINDO
Like Musoki’s boyfriend, child grooms are forced to take on adult responsibilities, such as providing for the household, for which they may not be adequately prepared. The vice also constrains the boy’s access to education and opportunities for career advancement, enjoying optimal health, and bonding with others of their own age.
Xavier Bwambale, a cocoa farmer in Butama-Mitunda Town Council, explains that due to the cocoa price boom, many farmers have money to spend extravagantly on young girls.
“Although we are all happy about the cocoa boom, it is sad that some farmers still have nothing developmental to show for it. Some are marrying additional wives as well as enticing young girls into sex. We need sessions on mindset change for the farmers who now suddenly have a lot of money. Otherwise, we cannot eradicate poverty with the current mentality,” he says.
Much higher numbers
Dr Christopher Kiyita, Bundibugyo district’s health officer, says the number of teen pregnancies might actually be higher than the 2,940 currently reporting for antenatal services. He adds that the district is relying on proxy indicators from available data on deliveries within health units, yet many mothers do not report for antenatal services or give birth in health facilities.
“Although we do not have a reliable database system, indicators still show an increase in teenage pregnancies. This might also increase the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV, among adolescents,” he says.
Child marriage and teenage pregnancy have a significant number of consequences on a girl’s physical and psychological wellbeing, and their general development including their education opportunities and outcomes.
According to the National Strategy to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy 2022/2023-2026/2027, the negative consequences include pregnancy-related complications, which are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 years globally. Low and middle-income countries including Uganda account for 99 percent of global maternal deaths of women aged 15-49 years.
Other consequences include high exposure to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and low development of the babies the girls bear such as low birth weight, malnutrition, and stunting. Socioeconomic consequences include the heightened risk of gender-based violence and domestic abuse.
Meanwhile, Joel Bwambale, the district vice chairperson, blames parents and guardians for what he calls poor parenting, saying they have exposed their sons to large sums of money by granting them land and ownership of cocoa plantations.
“Many young boys have dropped out of school to manage their parents’ cocoa farms, and as a result, the money they get has turned out to be a threat to their female age mates. I am advocating for collaborative efforts from stakeholders and parents to effect an immediate mindset change,” he urges.
Moses Bagambe, the councilor representing Ngamba sub-county, concurs, blaming parents for exposing their children to money and, as a result, sexual relationships.
“We are seeing situations where a 15-year-old boy impregnates a 15-year-old girl. Why are we exposing our sons to our cocoa money? Besides looking for girls, what else do you think they will use it for?” he asks.
Deo Byamaka, a gender activist and project manager of HAB Community Hope Foundation, also attributes the trend to school dropouts who begin working in cocoa farms during the harvest season.
“A bag of 100 kilograms of cocoa usually fetches between Shs3 million and Shs3.5 million. Parents use this money to buy bodaboda motorcycles for their sons. When these boys start riding the bikes they attract gullible young girls. During the harvest season, this organisation receives six complaints of child marriage or teenage pregnancy every week,” he says.
Byamaka adds that the cases are prevalent in eleven sub-counties which are located in hard-to-reach mountainous areas. Due to the long distances, some parents fail to follow up on defilement cases they have reported at the police station leading to the closure of the files.
“Parents need to be sensitised and educated so that they can have a mindset change, to know the importance of keeping their children in school until they complete their education,” Byamaka advises.
Child marriage and teenage pregnancy are a violation of children’s rights, as recognised globally and nationally, regardless of gender. The two vices also lead to school dropouts and delayed educational achievements.
As a result, many girls are trapped in a cycle of poverty because of limited employment or income generation opportunities.
