Teenagers in Kalangala have been told of a huge increase in teenage pregnancy in the area.
During a youth retreat organized by Power to Youth; an NGO that saves the lives of young people and mentors them in development and wellness projects at the Land of Dreams guesthouse; leaders noted that a large number of young people are dropping out of school and opting for early marriage, which is to the detriment of their future aspirations and aspirations.
The retreat was attended by 36 participants including 5 cultural leaders, 10 religious leaders, 15 youth leaders, 4 consortium partners and 4 DC officials.
According to Mr. Aloysius Ssekawa; Kalangala District Liaison; Youth Advocacy Initiative helps bridge the gap between youth, the health sector and its leaders themselves.
“The coalition helped bridge the communication gap between young people and their representatives, and young people gained communication skills,” he said.
According to Norah Nakyegye; Coordinator of the Power of Youth project under the Uganda Youth and Adolescent Health Forum; more than 6838 youth have been directly involved in the initiative, many with great success.
She said; Many adolescents face limitations in exercising their sexual reproductive health and maternal and child health rights due to a lack of access to quality and non-judgmental youth forums.
“Teenage pregnancy has a profound impact on adolescents and society. If young boys and girls are not fully trained; they become a complete burden on the public and their families,” he said.
According to the priest. Benard Mwaziza is also a youth in the Catholic Diocese of Bumanji, Champlain; Community Mimic NGOs such as; Youth Power have done commendable work in improving the lives of youth.
“I call on other organizations in the private sector and government to help young people in programs like this. Most of them need to be instilled with skills and undergo health and mentoring programs to be good representatives and informed citizens,” he said explain.
Mr Willy Kabunga representing the Chief Administrative Officer; All concerned parties in the district should come together to help improve the standards of youth and their wellbeing.
Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world.
According to the Demographic and Health Survey, 1 in 5 women in Uganda was sexually active before the age of 15, and 64% of women had sex before the age of 18.
During a youth retreat organized by Power to Youth; an NGO that aims to save young people’s lives and guide them in development projects at the Land of Dreams guesthouse; leaders pointed out that a large number of young people drop out of school and opt for early marriage, which damages the their future ambitions and prospects.
The retreat was attended by 36 participants including 5 cultural leaders, 10 religious leaders, 15 youth leaders, 4 consortium partners and 4 DC officials.
According to Mr. Aloysius Ssekawa; Kalangala District Liaison; Youth Advocacy Initiative helps bridge the gap between youth, the health sector and its leaders themselves.
“The coalition helped bridge the communication gap between young people and their representatives, and young people gained communication skills,” he said.
According to Norah Nakyegye; Coordinator of the Youth Power Project under the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Forum; more than 6838 youth were directly involved in the initiative, which culminated in the campaign to end early pregnancy in the region success.
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