Preventing child sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy
- Target groups and numbers – define specifically and state numbers
- 4,500 girls’ parents or caregivers
- 90 Child Wellbeing Committees Members
- 60 Health Care Providers 6,000 Men and Boys
- 90 Community, Cultural and Religious Leaders
- 30 Media Practitioners and Influencers
- 3,000 girls aged 10-19 who are at risk of teenage pregnancy
Objectives –
- Girls and boys from Kamuli, Jinja, and Bugiri districts in Uganda, start exercising the agency and having the bodily integrity, critical consciousness, and assets to reduce experiences of teenage pregnancy and its contributory risks.
- Men, parents or caregivers, community leaders, health care providers, media, and local government departments develop zero-tolerance for the main contributory factors for teenage pregnancy especially child sexual abuse and child
Partners – state community and funding partners
- Medical Services and Reproductive Health Uganda
- Child Protection Unit of Police
- Community Development Offices
- European Union Commission
List of activities – what we are doing
- Identifying and developing girls that have the right connections in community as AIMS Connectors (girl peer leaders).
- Building a new power brand for AIMS
- Lowering barriers to participation in AIMS by targeted girls and boys
- Moving girls up the participation scale.
- Counselling (boys) male adolescents
- Supporting parents and carers in skilful parenting
- Using Risk Terrain Modelling to predict more accurately teenage pregnancy and child sexual abuse
- Supporting local authorities to align resources and services in identified hot spots
- Preventing teenage pregnancy, child sexual abuse and child marriage through conversations with groups of men, community leaders and media influencers.
- Recognising and branding communities that innovate the most promising prevention strategies through competitions and certifications.
- Transforming effectiveness of MedRep Uganda and Kabukye Trust to advocate and participate in policy making regarding teenage pregnancy using better evidence, equipment, and systems.
- Catalyse provision of teen-friendly health services.
Results – key results this year
- Improved girls’ knowledge, life survival skills, and acceptance of contraceptives by participating in Abaghala Isanhu Movement for Success (AIMS), an innovative social movement, transforming their consciousness and abilities on how to avoid child pregnancy, sexual violence, and marriage
Preventing child sexual violence
THE CHALLENGE
AIMS tackles the crisis of adolescents in rural Kamuli in Uganda, lacking ample information and skills to make informed choices about their sexual health and well-being during puberty, yet, by 15, nearly 68% have had sex. Very young adolescents (10-14 years) young people (15-24), girls and the disabled are most at risk. In 2021, Kamuli reported 6,511 teenage pregnancies, the highest in the region and 236 child rape incidents, the second highest in the country. In 2022, social workers recorded 32 adolescent pregnancies among girls attending five targeted primary schools
OUR THEORIES OF CHANGE & INNOVATIONS
OUR PROJECTS
- Activating an Inclusive Movement for Sexuality (AIMS)
Adolescents are offered a safe place to learn about sexuality and sexual relationships, health and behaviours, and opportunities to practice their self-worth and voice,
- Abaghala Isanhu Movement for Success (AIM)
Abaghala Isanhu translates from Lusoga ‘The girls are joyful.’ It is a folk chant women and girls break into when happy. Unfortunately, due to unequal gender relations, these moments are rare. Kabukye Trust has a dream to empower girls to feel more joyful across Busoga.
Therefore, AIMS shall
- Empower girls and boys from Kamuli, Jinja, and Bugiri districts in Uganda, to start exercising the agency and having the bodily integrity, critical consciousness, and assets to reduce experiences of teenage pregnancy and its contributory risks.
Men, parents or caregivers, community leaders, health care providers, media, and local government departments develop zero-tolerance for the main contributory factors for teenage pregnancy especially child sexual abuse and child marriage and are galvanised to prevent them.
- Abaghala-na-abalenzi Isanhu Movement for Success (AIMS)
VYA girls and boys (10 – 14 year) start making good decisions, lead, take part in collective action, stay healthy and safe, know their self–worth andhave useful knowledge and skills that empower them to have more control over their lives and futures. Over 18 months, targeted 900 very young adolescent girls and boys will have developed improved aspirations, voice, knowledge and life skills to make informed choices to stay safe and healthy.
