Korea International Corporation Agency -KOICA- has boosted teenage mothers and young women in Luuka with skilling tools worth 65 million with a call to end teenage pregnancy and early marriages.
2,383 teenage mothers attended Ante Natal Clinics in Luuka 29 of them were aged between 12 and 15 years according to Health records in Luuka district bringing a burden both social and economic
Isaac Waboda the Bulongo sub county community development officer says most of these teenage mothers are Primary School drop outs and remain single mothers who need more counselling, guidance and support to not only fit into the community which stigmatises them but also support the babies and at best return to school to complete studies.
"We have a time bomb of teenage mothers, unplanned pregnancies and babies with a bleak future and when development partners come to the rescue like KOICA is doing, it gets a long way to securing the future of these innocent children and boosts self-esteem of the teenage mothers waking them up to responsibility and productivity,"
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Waboda pointed during the handover of startup kits to teenage mothers at Bulongo sub county this afternoon.
He regretted a level of blaming and stigmatising towards the girls and their parents for whereas empowering young people and their parents to deal with challenges with a solution driven approach is more effective and appropriate.
"There is need of more engagement of community structures including parents and leaders to address social norm change. Teenage Pregnancies are 'normalised' in societies, it requires the involvement and participation of all relevant stakeholders to tackle it," he rallied.
Vincent Njeho the Program Officer KOICA Project urged the beneficiary girls to use every available opportunity and space to advance, earn and progress but above all live responsibly to avoid repeat of the past.
"KOICA is helping you recover, restore hope, build solid confidence and make you productive enough to support your children and better yourselves," Njeho urged the young mothers.
Njeho urged that It is unfortunate how socially accepted child marriage and teenage pregnancies are in Busoga region and the current interventions are insufficiently addressing the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights needs of those young people that for one reason or another are already sexually active to prevent unplanned pregnancies, which includes the need for conversations about contraceptives and where to get them.
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On behalf of the beneficiaries, Sanyu Rahma Nampiina called for action and support to young women and girls to engage meaningfully in all areas of public life, stand with the girls to end unintended teenage pregnancies and ensure adolescents make healthier choices that end child marriages.
She thanked KOICA and Plan International for their timely actions that pulled them out of stigma, neglect and ridicule to now improved health , social acceptance, a better productive state that many of them are comfortable getting back to school and proudly looking after their children.
"KOICA is our parent, it understood our pain and became part of our struggle to regain both our identities, dignities and esteem and with the practical skills imparted to us, we are now in position to support ourselves and children let alone live a happier life," she revealed.
100 young mothers from Bukanga, Bulongo, Bukooma and Bugaya sub counties benefited from knitting, sewing tools and kits worth 68.232 million.
