International Women’s Day Workshop: Efforts to Keep the Girl Child in School
Posted by Justin Kiyimba on Monday, March 18, 2019
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Introduction
When planning an education or training activity, NSCRC focuses on one of the issues in the Resource Centre’s Mission. For Example, Reading Tent, Adult classes and Outreach activities focus on fighting illiteracy. Sensitization activities on the prevention of malaria, measles, HIV/AIDS focus on fighting disease. Income generation workshops for youths and women focus on poverty alleviation..jpg)
The Centre is now focusing on reducing the reported wide spread primary school children dropout rate mainly resulting from ignorance especially in the case of the girl child. According to a March 24, 2017 Uganda Ministry of Education Report, “The dropout rate for girl learners was just above the general average dropout rate of 42.8%. Over half of the number of female pupils who started primary school did not complete.”
Efforts to keep the Girl Child in School
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There have been persistent reports in the media about girls in rural areas in Uganda missing classes and dropping out of school altogether when they reach menstruation age. It is this aspect that the Resource Centre has decided to start with as one of its regular educational activities.
Many Parents in rural areas cannot afford sanitary pads for their daughters who have reached menstruation age every month. It so happens that most Day Primary School are mixed schools.
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Because of ignorance, some girls who attend these schools are teased by boys during their menstruation periods.
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The March 8, 2019 Workshop
One Non-Government organization in Uganda’s Capital City Kampala called Love Binti, decided to help poor families mainly in the slam areas of the City by teaching children and adults in such homes to make reusable sanitary pads from cheap but clean materials. It is this Organization that the Resource Centre approached and convinced them to come to the Resource centre and offer similar training to members of our rural communities. The organization happily agreed. The first Training was on 26th January this year. It had 250 mothers and grandmothers. We had planned this second workshop to be for 100 participants and school children only. But due to demand emanating from the earlier workshop, we had to double that number. When the facilitators observed that there were more people eager to participate, she advised us not to discourage anyone. Being a public holiday, many students who come from the area though not originally invited got their way into the workshop raising the number of young people to 161 and 92 adults. Bringing the total to 253 participants. To our surprise, some men also were anxious to participate and indeed they participated.
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I should point out that although there were a number of civic leader who enjoy making speeches at functions, the event was characterised by action and fewer speeches.
I should point out that although there were a number of civic leader who enjoy making speeches at functions, the event was characterised by action and fewer speeches.
Remarks Made before the closure of the Workshop
The Facilitator from Love Binti:
“We at Love Binti are trying to get men, women, girls and boys to understand that menstruation is natural. A parents whose daughter reaches menstruation age and does not menstruate gets concerned. Menstruation should therefore not be something to be ashamed of or worry about when it comes. What we should try to do this to ensure that our girls are clean and happy.”
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One of the women leaders:
“We are very grateful to the Resource Centre for coming up with an idea that will enable many of our girls to stay in school and, save many poor families this monthly expenditure. We request you, Mr Kiyimba that this should be only the beginning.”
Chairman of the Area Local Council:
“Mr Kiyimba, this is a wonderful initiative. An initiative to which all of us should contribute. You have told us it is going to be one of the Resource Centre’s regular activities. Let us know how we can be of help to carry on with this activity. Please let your friends outside this country know that we all appreciate their contribution.”
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A former member of Parliament of this area Dr Frank W. Nabwiso:
“The people who have raised the money to purchase these sewing machines and financed the Workshop are not only friends of the Kiyimba family, they are real friends of Uganda. Justin, please convey our very sincere appreciation to these friends of Uganda. I urge the Kiyimba family to upgrade this Resource Centre to a Vocational Institute because it is doing more than what we know libraries do.”
He asked those present to give the Kiyimba family a Standing Ovation for putting up the Resource Centre and for all the initiatives associated with the Centre.
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Conclusion
For us at the Resource centre these two workshops more than many good things we have done have been a very strong ADVOCACY tool. Many community leaders whom we have invited here on many occasions and have on all those occasions let us down turned up in large numbers and appreciated the Resource centre’s contribution to the development of their community.
- Justin N. Kiyimba
Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resource Centre.
LOVE BINTI is an organization based in Kampala, Uganda loves every girl to stay at school while in their monthly period.
You can contribute to our work in this area now by going to https://www.gofundme.com/ending-period-oovery-for-girls-in-school-in-uganda.
LOVE BINTI is an organization based in Kampala, Uganda loves every girl to stay at school while in their monthly period.
You can contribute to our work in this area now by going to https://www.gofundme.com/ending-period-oovery-for-girls-in-school-in-uganda.
