High rates of girl child school drop out in Namayingo

Last week (August3, 2011), the National Newspaper The Daily Monitor reported that at least 400 female students have dropped out of Universal Secondary Education in Namayingo District to practice prostitution along the shores of Lake Victoria in the past two years.

Mr Mayatsa, the District Resident Commissioner, said that  majority of the girls aged below 16 have been lured into the vice to earn quick money from fishermen.

Mr Mayatsa further said that  recently he visited some schools in the district  and discovered that most of the schools which had about 250 female students dropped to less than 100.

The RDC  called for sensitization in  the community  about the importance of keeping girls  in school to ensure they attain a bright future. “Some parents think education is useless. So they encourage girls to make money through prostitution,” he said, adding that more would join if no action is taken.

Mr Mayatsa said majority of the girls aged below 16 have been lured into the vice to earn quick money from fishermen. “When I inquired about their whereabouts, I was told they had gone to make quick money on the islands where they target fishermen,” he said.

Mr Mayatsa said recently he visited some schools in the region and discovered that most of the schools which had about 250 female students dropped to less than 100.

The RDC also said parents need sensitisation about the importance of keeping their daughters in school to ensure they attain a bright future. “Some parents think education is useless. So they encourage girls to make money through prostitution,” he said, adding that more would join if no action is taken.

This is one of the many challenges that women paralegals grapple with in the new district of Namayingo that boarders with Lake Victoria. This  remote and fishing community   has been marginalized and left out on many development aspects because of their remote locations as evidenced in the previous projects carried out by Isis-WICCE. They have missed out on various economic, social related programmes, and gross human rights violations continue unabated.

Women and girls  have continued to face various forms of violations on a daily basis which include; sexual violence,widow in-heritance and property grabbing, prostitution which has led to high rates of HIV and AIDS .

Report by Solome Kintu

As paralegals, we  sensitise people in the community especially women to know their rights, demand and defend their rights. We also workhard to see that stability and good health prevails in familieis. It was on March 15, 2011 at Lubango PArish in Manayingo district and I visited Mr Machala’s family which believed that having many children and the man made sure that his wife who is now over 45years produces as many children as possible.

I talked to them about family planning, and the possible dangers of having many children especially after 40 years. I advised them that producing a few children gives you the opportunity to give proper care  by providing health care, education and other basic needs

I am happy to report that at the end of our discussion, the couple  was able ot understand  the importance of family planning and agreed to use family planning methods  which is the Inject plan.

In my opinion, the paralegal work has greatly impacted on the lives of individuals and the community at large. Personally, my life has also changed and I have got new friends and I have received several cases relating to family matters which I have also handled.

 

 

THE TRICKLE OF LIGHT FOR THE WOMEN OF NAMAYINGO: WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARDED

Jesca Were recieving an award

Jesca Were was one of the Women of Courage awarded for her efforts in empowering, educating and encouraging women living with HIV and AIDS to deliver healthy babies in a well established health centre.

On April 7^th 2011 Isis-WICCE, the US Embassy in Uganda and CEDA-Uganda held the first Uganda Women of Courage Award. The award aims to recognize the efforts of grassroots women in developing their communities. The event was witnessed by about 100 people, including women’s human rights activists, international development organizations, United Nations representatives, diplomatic missions and the media. Prior to the ceremony, Isis-WICCE documented the work of the seven recipients and the short clips were projected during the event. It was such an emotional moment for most of the women, as they expressed surprise at being nominated for the award.

Jesca and U.S. Ambassador Jerry Lanier after receiving an Award

Jesca Were is a mother mentor at Buyinja health center IV in Namayingo district and the Coordinator, Tumbula Women’s Group. She is is living positively with HIV and AIDS and  pays special attention to mothers with HIV, counsels them on how to live positively and also on treatment adherence. She has provided information to women on caring for children with HIV through PMCT outreach groups. A primary school teacher, Jesca also works as a paralegal, moving in various villages helping women

and orphans to access justice. She works a lot on cases of land rights and violence against women. She leads a group of 16 women in eight sub-counties to support families affected by HIV to access justice.

Through the maternal health services outreach, Jesca has managed to get mothers to have deliveries at hospitals in a rural area where most times mothers would rather deliver at home. She has also extended her support to couples encouraging them to get tested and treated.

Jesca’s acceptance speech on receiving the Award

Jesca giving her appreciation speech

His Excellency the US ambassador to Uganda, other Excellencies, distinguished guests, fellow women of Courage 2011, ladies and gentlemen.

Am speechless………….!!!

Grateful I am to be honored on this day. I thank each of you who are here to witness all this for what I do

Namayingo is a district situated in the Eastern part of Uganda formerly part of Bugiri District.

I have been awarded on the aspect of Health, yet I can neither inject nor combine two drugs to cure any infection or disease as Health workers do.

I am an HIV positive mother who has an HIV negative baby due to accessing Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services. When I was pregnant, I and my husband travelled to Nsambya Hospital six years ago. When we had the test, I was positive and my husband negative. On hearing this, my husband abandoned me and disappeared. I did not even have transport back home in Namaingo I mourned for awhile. I then decided to move on with the support of family and encouraged to access PMTCT services.

I decided to use my experience of PMTCT to support other mothers in my community. So through the programme of mothers to mothers; I always go to Health facility, Buyinja Health Centre IV where I do the Health Education Talk to pregnant mothers. The pregnant mothers are tested for HIV whenever they come to the Health facility as it is a government policy under the ministry of Health for those found HIV positive; I further have a one on one talk with them. Using my experience that I went through to obtain an HIV free baby is the one I share with these mothers in order to encourage them to go through the same and have HIV free babies. When these mothers total to 25(twenty five), I group them into family support groups, where we meet once in a month to share testimonies, drama, test their babies and learn atleast one topic regarding the PMTCT schedule.

I happen to be a coordinator of paralegals with other 18(Eighteen) women who were trained as paralegals too. This training was facilitated by Isis-WICCE after a baseline survey that showed that women and girl’s rights were abused day to day silently:

• Maternal Health; women travel long distances to give birth, hence deliver by the road side and some on the boats.
• Domestic Violence; Is at a high rate, child and family neglect.
• High rate of illiteracy; most women live peasantry life depending on their husbands, this can be evidenced in my community where I come from. I am the only working class woman imagine!!!
• Rape and defilement of girls.
• High rate of polygamy and widow inheritance resulting into property grabbing and infections of HIV & AIDS and STDs.

As a result of paralegals within the 6(six) Sub Counties of Namayingo Districts, a lot of interventions have been realized. This District consists of water bodies and fishing communities, where women, girls suffer from violations while no one to turn to.

Civil Society voices do not exist at all, yet dear listeners (audience) you are here!!!

I send my sincere appreciation to Isis-WICCE who has stretched and put effort to reach us.

I therefore call upon all the civil society with diversity skills to visit Namayingo so as to cause change.

The Award that I have been given today, implies to me that:

• I will work extremely hard.
• I will be a candle to light for others (women and girls).
• I will seek and advocate for the girls and women in Namayingo District until change arises.

I always look at a caterpillar as my mentor because it moves in all circumstances whether hot or cold, nothing stops it. Yes nothing will stand in my way.

God bless thee.

Mothers’ Union day celebrations at Lwangosia Archdeaconry on March 25th, 2011

By Onyango Joyce, Oundo Grace, and Suzan Nkinzi

Mothers union welcoming guests

The first ever Busoga Diocesan Mother’s Union day celebration in Lwagonsia Archdeaconry since it became a church in 1945 was held on March 25^th, 2011 at Lwangosia Archdeaconry head quarters.

The day’s service was led by the Ven. Rev. Simon Peter Onyango assisted by Ven. Rev. David Kaluya the Archdeacon Bugiri. In the bishop’s sermon he emphasized loving one another and forgiveness in marriage and all aspects of life (Ephesians 4:32).

Mother’s Union members took the initiative to sensitize women in care and handling of children; orphans and those with disabilities, elderly, respect and love for their husbands. The community was also educated on respect for human rights and encouraged to officially get married in churches.

Mother Union members engaged in various competitive activities which included; matooke peeling, bicycle riding, marching, reading of scriptures in Lusoga and Gomes dressing. However, prizes and presents were given to all those who participated as an encouragement to women to participate in such activities.

Archdeacons preparing to lead the sermon

The achievements cited were:

• Hosting the first ever Diocesan Mother’s Union day celebration in Lwagonsia Archdeaconry since it became a church in 1945 and was attended by over 10,000 people.
• Conducting family life seminars at Archdeaconry and parish levels.
• Participation of women in politics.
• Construction of the Lwangosia Archdeaconry offices.
• Conducting Mother’s Union meetings at all levels.

However there were also some challenges including:

• Lack of funds for the construction of the Diocesan Mary’s House.
• Non subscription by members.
• Child sacrifice.
• Early marriages and defilement.
• Sectarianism, segregation and cultural beliefs.
• Homosexuality.
• Gender Based Violence.

At the end of the day, guests toured around the Lwangosia Archdeaconry premises and appreciated the work well done by the youngest Archdeaconry of 3 years old in Busoga Diocese.

Tumbula Women celebrate World Aids Day

On first December 2010, Tumbula women joined the world to commemorate the World Aids day in the newly created district of Namaingo. The celebrations included a match, testiomonies, presentations,VCT and music dance and drama.To most of them, it was their first time to participate in the event.

“It was my first time to match and as a wife of the reverend,  I had to leave behind that humbleness and the robes of the pulpit and  matched like any other woman” Joyce Onyango,

“I have always heard about   World Aids day but I never participated, this year I was able to participate for the first time. I matched and danced with other women. I saw the women who are not in Tumbula Women’s Group admiring me saying that is the group where she belongs.  During the celebrations, I   learnt that if services are brought nearer to people it becomes easy for them to have  access  because it reduces transport costs and I overheard a man telling a friend that  you have been refusing to get tested, go and get tested so that you know your status. I overheard a man telling a friend that  you have been refusing to get tested. Those people who are sitted over there are drawing blood and testing people and the man did go.People  prefer being tested by the people they know and can speak the same language. If services  are brought nearer, the transport  costs will be cut down since most people cant afford them” Perusi  Anyango

Evelyne’s story of suffering, resilence and triumph

I am called Atieno Evelyne from Sigulu Islands, Namaingo District in Eastern Uganda. It was on 14/4/2003 when my husband died of HIV and AIDS living with three children, two girls and one boy. My husband was a fisherman and he had a boat and an engine. Shortly after the burial family members sat down and discussed about the deceased property because he died without leaving a will.

Every member of the family benefited  from my late husbands property for getting  that the late has left behind a wife and the children. They took  the boat and the engine and all the household items which included the TV set, Radio Cassette, two mattresses , chairs and the table.

I reported the matter to the local leadership but nothing was  done and I decided to leave everything and started struggling with my  three children.

It was  on 13 July 2009 when I attended a paralegal training that was organized by Isis-WICCE and  the trainer facilitated  about property rights  and I felt so bitter when I remembered  what took place  at my  home on the day my-laws came and took all my property. The picture was so vivid and it was as if it happened the yesterday.

After the training I went back  to Sigulu and I was now empowered  and equiped with the knowledge on  human rights, women’s rights and the related laws  instruments . I sensitized my family members my family members  and the community about rights  and I assured them that  this is the time  to regain  my property. I sat down my-laws and  we discussed and I was able to recover part of my property. Thanks to Isis-WICCE for considering the voiceless women and empowering them to demand and stand up for their rights.