Leaders from Busoga sub region have endorsed a framework document, geared towards ending teenage pregnancies and poverty across Busoga sub region.
The framework document was drafted by the Kyabazinga, HRH Gabula Nadiope IV, through the Kyabazinga initiatives-KI, an arm of the kingdom, which champions stakeholder engagements for the general development of Busoga sub region as a whole.
According to data from the Uganda National Bureau of statistics-UBOS, teenage pregnancy rates in Busoga sub region stand between 28%-30%. This means one in three adolescent girls has gotten pregnant before the recommended child bearing age.
In this framework, the Kyabazinga deployed researchers across Busoga who conducted interviews on the unique drivers of teenage pregnancies. Individuals interviewed included school going children between the ages of nine and 15, who were provided with safe spaces to openly express themselves about the topic. School-going children interviewed cited child abandonment and lack of disciplinary action for children involved in early sex.
Children who were already teenage mothers said their parents had either separated or passed away, living them without an adult caregiver. This overly exposed them to ill-intentioned individuals, mostly relatives, who firstly presented themselves as potential guardians, only to sexually manipulate them.
Another factor is lack of parental guidance and befitting disciplinary actions, where the girls said parents seemed unbothered about their indulgence in early sex, so long as they returned home with some cash, food items, clothes, pads, among others.
In regards to poverty, UBOS indicates that monetary poverty in Busoga stands at 18.9%, way above the national figures standing at 16.1%.
Now, in their findings, the researchers indicate that one of the under-reported causes of poverty in Busoga sub region is fraudulent supply in agricultural inputs, where farmers are unknowingly hoodwinked to purchase fake products.
Busoga has a population of 4.4 Million people, with an estimated 80% relying on agriculture as their sole means of survival.
Through their engagements with the farmers, the findings indicate that, most farmers spend an average of 480,000 Shillings per acre of maize garden, but their final harvest translates to a dificit of between 180,000-220,000 Shillings. This, they say, results from the fake agricultural inputs, from which they cannot ably get their projected profit of 1.2 Million Shillings after 10 weeks.
These findings form part of the bigger framework paper, which the Kyabazinga presented before different leaders to endorse for action. The leaders comprised politicians, law enforcement agencies, technocrats at local government levels, civil society organizations and development partners.
Charles Nsaba, the Kiira regional police commander, noted that, their teams will continuously sensitize communities against indulgence in all forms of child abuse and equally investigate cases involving sexual manipulation of minors.
Nasabu Nantale, the Luuka district education officer noted that, the framework is timely and she commits to fighting teenage pregnancies, which she blames for contributing to the high levels of school dropouts at all levels.
Also, Richard Mafumo, the head of all clan leaders in Busoga sub region noted that, some cultural norms are blamed for driving teenage pregnancies, however, with the current framework, they will discard all the cultural practices risking the future of children.
Mafumo argues that besides teenage pregnancies, young people are equally exposed to sexually transmitted diseases, which may likely contribute to their early deaths.
Also, Laura Fuente, a gender and youth expert with UNFPA says that UN agencies will continue to work with the Kyabazinga, in the quest to end teenage pregnancies. Their support, she says, will include training of data collection teams, coupled with joint monitoring, which will enable them to formulate data driven action points to end teenage pregnancies.
Fuente has equally challenged young people to speak up and fight back by creating their own opportunities with what is around them for the general good. She has equally challenged leaders at local government levels to make ordinances against teenage pregnancy in their council sittings.
On his part, Kyabazinga noted that such findings mark clear indicators about the persistent poverty and high teenage pregnancy rates, which different agencies can act upon to change the narrative.
He says that the challenge of poor parenting and deteriorating responsibilities among community members is increasingly exposing girls to teenage pregnancy, requiring urgent sensitization drives to change the status quo.
Kyabazinga stated that there were existing gaps between coordination and accountability during the implementation of the different initiatives geared towards improving developmental scores in Busoga sub region, however, with teamwork from all players, these challenges will be solved amicably.
Kyabazinga has since committed himself towards mobilizing communities on the urgent need for mindset shifts, from reluctance to leveraging on the available opportunities within their reach to create sustainable wealth-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
