20 NEW VISION, Wednesday, June 10, 2015

MWALIMU

NEW VISION, Wednesday, June 10, 2015

25

TEEN MUMS defy the odds to stay in school

School

y for a teen m
a
d
l
a
oth
ic
p
y
er
At

Drop out rate in Uganda

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN SSEKAMATTE

Has to revise, hold group discussions

with her friends and sometimes
do homework before heading
home at 2:00pm

SCH
OO
LT

E
IM

2:00pm

2011

A mother
A student
A daughter

8:00am

24/7
OME

A teenage mother and her child at Kasambya Parents School. Photos by Luke Kagiri

BE

Two weeks after the term started,

Juliet had not yet reported to
school. It was not about the recent
teachers strike. Rather, this Senior
Four student had to weigh her
options. She has a nine-month-old
baby.
My son is sick... I came to school
Juliet is at
today because the headmaster sent
school by 8:00am
for me, she says.
Juliet is wearing sandals when we
meet her for this interview.
I do not even have shoes to wear
to school. I do not want to bother
my guardian because she has six
Gets up to help with domestic chores,
children to take care of, says Juliet,
gets ready for school and ensures that
shyly looking away.
everything for her son is in place
The 18-year-old believes she is a
burden to her guardian.
She has already done so much
for me... I betrayed her, but she did
not send me away from home when
I got pregnant, Juliet says.
As she opens up later, Juliet is an
orphan. She is the fourth born in
a family of six. She was only lucky
that a relative took care of her.
All I really pray for right now is to
complete S4, she says.
What about her sons father?
girls to stay in school, Juliet still knew
Doesnt he support her?
her life was never going to be easy.
I wish I could answer that, she
When I realised I was pregnant, I
says palms in her face.
decided to keep quiet about it.
Unlike her peers, Juliets high
People at home did not know
school years are not spent worrying
that I was pregnant. I would go
about grades and making friends.
to school and do household
Being a young mother has forced
chores like before. The good
her to mature quickly. She knows
thing is that my tummy was
the true definition of the world.
small. Some people thought I
She is the mother, student and
was only putting on weight.
daughter seven days a
The only problem is that
week 24 hours a day.
I would feel sleepy
And yet, this is the
during class time, she
same girl who chose
laughs.
to stay in school
However, Juliet could
against the odds and
not hide the pregnancy
stereotypes of being
forever. By the seventh
a pregnant student.
month, her guardian
Although
her
was suspicious.
school, Kasambya
She took me to the
Parents
School
health centre and the
in
Mubende,
pregnancy test came
encourages
and
Juliet in school uniform out positive, she says.
supports pregnant

AT
H

The rate
of teenage
pregnancies in
Uganda is high.
In many schools,
it is a crime to
get pregnant.
Students who
conceive are
instantly expelled.
What if we kept
pregnant students
in school? In a
five-part series,
Carol Natukunda
digs deep into the
issue

OR

ES

CH

She has to assist with the cooking,

do laundry, and wash dishes,
bathe and put baby to sleep.
Sometimes stays awake
the entire night if baby cries

OOL
6:00am

A typical day for Juliet starts

To say her aunt was furious is an

understatement.
I had only myself to blame and
she was right to be angry with
me, says Juliet.
As she confides later, the man
responsible for her pregnancy
was the son of a prominent
school director in the area. He
also works as a teacher at a
school she is reluctant to reveal
for fear of her life.
Initially, my aunt wanted to
report to Police, but most people
advised her against it. So we
settled the matter amicably with
the family of the man who made
me pregnant. The man did not
deny responsibility and, in fact,
told me he would never talk to
me again if I aborted the baby,
Juliet narrates.
However, it is illegal to
settle capital offences such as

20

The number
of districts
in which
pregnancy
accounted
for 34% of
the dropout rate

defilement out of court. The matter

should have been reported to the
Police.
After a lengthy chat, she finally
reveals his name. I liked him by
the time it happened.
He would support her until she
delivered in July 2013.
Since it was towards the end of
second term of my Senior Three,
I was able to resume classes after
holidays. I resumed school when
my baby was about two months
old.
The support from this man has
since been an on-and-off affair.
Strangely, Juliet is as forgiving as
always. He is a teacher. I also do
not think he earns much.
LIFE AFTER BIRTH
The school has been supportive. At
break time, Juliet sometimes dashes
home to breastfeed her baby. Being

a school under the Universal

Secondary Education programme
that has a double shift system
means Juliet has the opportunity
to break off early.
I wake up very early to prepare
porridge or milk which I leave
behind for my son. My carer helps
me with babysitting until I leave
school at lunchtime, she says
and quickly adds, Whenever my
baby is sick, I cannot go to school
after having spent sleepless
nights.
A typical day for Juliet starts
about 6:00am. She gets up to
help with chores at home. That
includes washing some of the
soiled nappies. Meanwhile, she
gets ready for school and then
ensures that everything for her
son is in place and that he is
comfortable. Juliet is at school by
8:00am.

Before 2:00pm when she returns

home, Juliet must also squeeze
in time to revise, hold group
discussions with her friends and
sometimes do homework.
At home, she has to assist
with the cooking, doing laundry,
washing dishes as well as bathing
and putting her baby to sleep.
However, the baby will not always
fall asleep right away. There are
times he cries at night, which
means she may have to stay
awake the entire night.
I also have to feed him in the
night, says Juliet.
Before going to bed, Juliet
sometimes spares some time to
revise her books, only to wake
up and start the routine all over
again the next day.
Juliet has also had to deal with
her fair share of mood swings and
prying eyes of those who look
at her as that schoolgirl with a
baby.
Sometimes, it is hell when
you have no money to buy what
your baby needs. Yet you have to
keep up with studies, she says
revealing her constant fear of life
ahead.
Coupled with the parenting
stress and lack of basic needs,
Juliet admits that there are times
she feels like she made the biggest
mistake of her life. In fact, she
swears, she is never going to get
married. I do not think it is worth
it, she says with resignation If I
can complete school, get a job,
look after my siblings and focus
on my child, that is enough.
Did you like him? Did he force
you into sex? I ask her.
I actually liked him, she
admits. He was my friend, and
used to give me pocket money

The year in
which a report
showed that
51 girls out of
100 complete
primary
education as
opposed to
56 out of 100
boys

Statistics
Since 2010, 19 teenage mothers have stayed in Kasambya Parents School
after they conceived. Of these,
n Two sat UCE in 2010
n Three sat UCE in 2011
n Three sat UCE in 2012 (one of them is a finalist in a PTC)
n Four sat UCE in 2013 (one of them is pursuing a course in nursing)
n One sat UACE exams in 2013 (she is in year one in a university).
n Three have sat UCE this year
n Three students are in Senior Three
n One is in Senior One
sometimes. However, I cannot get
married to him. I have even told
him I do not want to, says Juliet.
When she tells her friends to avoid
peer pressure and early sex, she is
sometimes greeted with a deaf ear
and hostility. They do not listen to
me. They say oyo twamumanyila.
Bwatyo (Literally meaning We are
used to that one. She is always like
that).
It gets to me sometimes, but that
is life.
DEALING WITH STIGMA
Along the way, Juliet has learnt
to deal with the stigma of being
a young mother. Some boys call
her Mama baby. But we laugh
and joke about it. She has to find
it within herself and believe that
since she got through the most
difficult stage (pregnancy) without
dropping out of school, then she
can face anything.
Juliet dreams of becoming a nurse.
When I went to give birth at
Kasambya Health Centre, I saw
many patients without nurses to
attend to them. I want to make a
difference.

Records
from the
gender
ministry
show that
three out
of 10 girls
drop out of
school

SCHOOLS STAND
Against the background of the
high school dropout rate attributed
to pregnancy, Kasambya Parents
Secondary School introduced a
support project aimed at reducing
unwanted pregnancies in 2010.
Since 2010, Juliet is just one of the
19 teenage mothers who have stayed
in the school after they conceived.
Most of them have been taken
advantage of. However, we are trying
to give them a chance, says Lawrence
Lumbuye, the headteacher.
He says he discussed the issue
with his staff and parents before
launching the project.
We felt that when you keep them
in school, in a way, it controls birth,
Lumbuye says.
He notes that the girls can easily
fall prey to more men if they are not
kept busy at school.
The parents were initially hesitant
in welcoming the idea.
In fact, Regina Namaganda, a
40-year-old tomato vendor, had
her sentiments: When you keep
a pregnant child in school, are you
telling the others that it is okay to
have sex? What about the young

In Uganda, enrolment of girls and boys at primary school

level has almost reached the 50/50 mark. However, a
2011 report on pregnant girls by the Forum for African
Women Educationalists (FAWE) indicates that only 51
girls out of 100 complete primary education as opposed
to 56 out of 100 boys.
Factors contributing to dropping out of school are
social, economic, physical and psychological, among
which is early pregnancy.
According to data from the Uganda Bureau of
Statistics 2011, one in four Ugandan girls aged 15-19
years is a mother or pregnant with her first child.
Similarly, records from the gender ministry and the
United Nations Childrens Fund show that three out of 10
girls drop out of school. Pregnancy is a major reason for
school dropouts, especially among upper primary and
Olevel students.
In a FAWE survey conducted in 20 districts of Uganda,
it was established that pregnancy accounted for 34%
of the dropout rate, followed by poverty (28%) and
engaging in early sex/marriage (11%).
For example, in 2002, a total of 8,116 girls countrywide
dropped out of school due to pregnancy. Of these, 6,229
were upper primary pupils, while 2,353 were Olevel
students. The year before, 8,201 girls had dropped out
for the same reason, shooting up from 3,966 in the
previous year. Again, in both cases, the majority were
either P5 or P7 pupils or Olevel students.

children.
Lumbuye disagrees.
When you look at society today, it
is more challenging for the boys than
girls. Boys, somehow, manage to face
the world. Girls are always taken
advantage of and exploited. They
need to be supported. If expulsion
worked 10 years ago, it cannot work
today.
Lumbuye does not believe in
expulsion of pregnant students.
Even in the Arab world where
those who get unwanted pregnancies
are executed, girls still get pregnant.
Even robbers are executed, but have
the break-ins ever stopped?
He stresses that the programme
is not intended to promote teenage
pregnancy.
It is intended to give a new life
to the victims and to save society
from issues such as street children,
violence against children, early
marriages, domestic violence and
abortions.
With support from the Uganda
Red Cross and United Nations
Population Fund, the school has a
centre which is well stocked with
literature on sexual health and life
skills. The centre is managed by
trained peer educators. The teachers
role is supervisory. The boys are also
equipped with skills to appreciate
and respect girls.
For a girl to conceive, there is
a male counterpart. So, the fight
against unwanted pregnancy cannot
be complete unless the boys are
involved, says Lumbuye.
Regrettably, some two teenage
mothers last year were unable
to complete school, even with a
supportive system in place.
Lumbuye says he also needs
counselling to reach out to the girls.
If Juliets baby is sick, how do

I approach that? We have to be

extremely patient about the way to
approach the topic, he says.
He also worries about the culture
where parents are protecting the
culprits.
HOW PROJECT WORKS
It begins with the victim accepting
that she is pregnant. They then have
to be convinced to study until they
are almost due and to come back to
school. This is often done through
counselling. The headteachers also
reach out to the girls.
The other students are constantly
psychologically prepared for the
pregnancy and return of their colleague
so that she is not stigmatised.
The teachers are also sensitised on
how to handle these learners. Teachers
are always reminded to avoid making
fun of them and must be cautious
when making statements related to
sexual health so as not to hurt these
girls.
The parents are encouraged to stand
by their daughters and continue giving
them financial, material and moral
support.
The school board also constantly
organises
meetings
attended
by the parent, the student and
the administration in which the
student is counselled; experiences,
responsibilities and challenges are
shared as they agree on the way
forward.
This story was made possible
with funding from The African
Centre for Media Excellence
(ACME).
In next weeks Mwalimu:
Is it acceptable to keep
pregnant girls
in school?

18 NEW VISION, Wednesday, June 17, 2015

MWALIMU

NEW VISION, Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Should pregnant girls be kept in school?

Almost 300,000 girls
of school-going age get
pregnant annually in
Uganda. But after giving
birth, most of the girls
do not return to school,
partly due to resistance
from headteachers to readmit them. In the second
of a five-part series,
CAROL NATUKUNDA
explores the possibilities
of re-integrating such
girls back into school.

The question of
whether pregnant
girls should be
allowed to stay in
school spans decades.
While proponents
say it gives the girls a
second chance in life,
opponents argue that
to be bad influence to
other girls

gnes Kobusingye is at
crossroads. She would love to
take up a career in veterinary
medicine
and
animal
husbandry. The problem is
that she obtained a fourth grade in last
years Olevel examinations. She thought
about repeating Senior Four, but realised
she could not afford the fees. She was
raised by a single mother, who is cashstrapped.
I dont know if I can earn a scholarship
to a vocational institute, she says.
Kobusingye was in Senior Two at
Kasambya Parents School in Mubende
district when she conceived. She stayed
in school throughout her pregnancy, gave
birth and resumed school when her baby
was just weeks old.
I think motherhood affected me. I
expected at least a second grade, says
Kobusingye, a mother of a two-year-old
boy.
Her headteacher, Lawrence Lumbuye,
strongly believes she is not to blame for
her poor performance.
We cannot deny that they (student
-mothers) are affected when they give
birth. However, we also cannot say those
who perform poorly are all mothers,
Lumbuye argues, adding: There are
many factors that affect ones academic
performance. Kobusingye comes from a
poor family and was raised by a single
mother.
Despite sentiments from the community,
Lumbuye is a strong advocate of pregnant
girls staying in school.
He
says
student-mothers
like
Kobusingye become peer counsellors to
other students.
When someone is in school, it is a way
of controlling birth, rather than letting her
off to get married at an early age. Besides,
they are also peer counsellors to fellow
students. Show me one girl who sees a
pregnant girl and says: I want to get
pregnant, too. The girls right to education
is in the Government White Paper, says
Lumbuye.
Look at Kobusingye now, she might
not have performed well, but she is
certain about her dream career. Such girls
become more determined than ever to
make it in life, says Lumbuye.
The big debate
The question of whether pregnant girls
should be allowed to stay in school spans
decades. While proponents say it gives the
girls a second chance in life, opponents
argue that it could be a bad influence to

A teenage mother and her child at Kasambya Parents School in Mubende district. Photos by Luke Kagiri

26

The number of
girls suspended
from the Uganda
Christian
Universitys
Kabale affiliate
college in 2013
over pregnancy

other girls.
At Leo Atubo College, Ngetta in Lira
district, a girl is expelled as soon as she is
discovered pregnant.
I think it is not proper to keep them
in school. What are you telling the other
students? That it is okay to get pregnant
and stay in school? You might end up
having a school of mothers, says the
headteacher, Francis Atubo.
He also says teenagers are too young to
balance both parenting and studies.
The pregnant girl might be in class,
but thinking about her troubles. Maybe
the boyfriend does not care. Under such
circumstances, such girls would not
manage school work, says Atubo.
The school always hands over the
students to their parents. We encourage
them to return after delivery, but I think

they usually feel embarrassed to come

back, reveals Atubo.
Fr. Henry Kasasa, the headteacher
of Uganda Martyrs SS, Namugongo
in Wakiso district, says he has never
registered any incidents of teenage
pregnancies.
However, if it happened, God forbid,
we would immediately summon the
parents and discuss a way forward, in the
presence of their children, Kasasa says.
A senior female teacher at the same
school also expresses her sentiments.
Expulsion means you do not take
pregnancy lightly. Therefore, students
will think twice before engaging in sex
and getting pregnant, the teacher says.
She adds: They need to know that
pregnancy is not about the child, but also
ones health.

19

A girl between
the age of 15
and 19 is twice
more likely to die
during pregnancy
or childbirth
compared to a
woman in her
20s.

She could be right. Information obtained

by the United Nations Population Fund
Uganda notes that teenage pregnancy has
both direct and indirect consequences to
a girls health and wellbeing.
Healthwise, a girl between the age of 15
and 19 is twice more likely to die during
pregnancy or childbirth compared to a
woman in her 20s. If she is under 15, the
risks are five times higher.
Young girls are more likely to suffer
complications such as prolonged and
obstructed labour because their bodies
are not physiologically mature and ready
to handle childbirth.
Teenage mothers also face higher risks of
getting obstetric fistula, a hole in the birth
canal caused by prolonged, obstructed
labour due to small size of the birth canal,
further complicated by limited access to
timely and adequate medical care.
Let us be frank with our girls. When you
expel one, you protect another from all the
health consequences of dying needlessly,
says Cissy Namaganda, a senior woman
and matron at St. Catherines Vocational
Centre in Wakiso district.
Namaganda also says a pregnant
schoolgirl would be too demanding to
take care of. If you tell her to pay more
fees to eat the food she is craving, it
becomes a problem. She might come late
to class due to morning sickness, yet we
do not have enough teachers to tutor her
outside class time.
Even in situations where girls are
deemed mature, they have been expelled
for being bad apples. Last year, 26 girls
were suspended from the Uganda
Christian Universitys Kabale affiliate
college for conceiving before marriage.
They were found to be pregnant during
random tests.
Our policy here is that you came to
study, not to get pregnant. We look at
our students as our daughters and sons,
so when someone gets pregnant, it is a
bad example to the rest, especially to an
institution that is founded on religion,
said Reuben Twinomujuni, the colleges
public relations officer.
In Sierra Leone, a similar debate is
raging, following the governments ban
on visibly pregnant girls attending class
or even sitting school equivalency exams.

ministrys stand
The education minister, Jessica
Alupo, has consistently stated that
pregnant schoolgirls should not be
expelled from school.
The primary education state
minister, Dr. John Chrysostom
Muyingo, in an interview with New
Vision, said the Government policy
is that every Ugandan is entitled to
education, without discrimination.
It is under such a policy that
some schools encourage pregnant

girls to stay in school. However, of

course, if somebody is not healthy,
they can be encouraged to go home,
until they recover, says Muyingo.
Muyingo is, however, quick to
add that keeping pregnant girls
in school can sometimes be a
distraction, especially if the schools
do not have a support system.
You know these youngsters
might easily be distracted by seeing
their fellow student pregnant.
Perhaps, that is why some schools

have policies against pregnancy,

he explains.
Determined
Nonetheless, the idea persists that
the sight of a pregnant teen will
make other girls want to become
pregnant.
Parents think that if they provide
support to such students, other
students will carelessly have sex.
Lumbuye says it is especially
disappointing when the comments

come from mothers of the affected

teenagers.
In his estimation, he says
pregnant students tend to be highly
motivated. They know everything
a usual teenager would be curious
about and they wont waste time on
boyfriends, he says.
Perhaps, that is why Kobusingye
describes her pregnancy as a
turning point: a realisation that
she needs to study, get a job and
support her child.

Those against the policy of allowing pregnant girls in school say they will be a bad influence on others

27

Activists say
Advocates express concern
that a girls prospects
of gaining meaningful
employment are almost
nonexistent after being
denied an opportunity
to continue with her
education. They state that
the Government policy is
vague.
Dorothy Muhumure, the
programme manager of
the Forum for African
Women Educationalists
(FAWE), in an earlier
interview, appealed to the
Government to set up a
policy for the education
of pregnant teenagers
and child mothers so they
can continue with their
education.
There is no legal
position that allows girls
to continue with education
after they have been
expelled due to pregnancy.
They are usually ridiculed,
hence fear going back
to school and this is our
concern, Muhumure said.
She argued that denying
an adolescent girl
education is trampling on
her fundamental right to
education as enshrined in
the Constitution.
She pointed out that the
completion rate for girls is
still low, at 44%, while that
for boys is at 50%.
Catherine Bwanika, a
feminist and human rights
activist, says: When a boy
makes a girl pregnant, does
he drop out of school? In
most cases, it is not even
an issue.

Support programmes

Uganda making strides in keeping teen mothers in school

GRAPHIC BY BRIAN SSEKAMATTE

Beneficiary districts of the MacArthur Foundation

and FAWE sh1.2billion scheme
Lamwo
Adjumani
Arua

Project aims at catering

for young women between
12 and 24 years with
their children.

Amuru

Gulu

Kitgum

Pader

Nwoya

Kampala
KEY
Beneficiary
districts
Capital
Water

Last year, the MacArthur

Foundation, in partnership
with the Forum for African
Women Educationalists
(FAWE), signed a sh1.2b
scheme that was set out to
support pregnant teens, child
mothers and their children.
The two-year project aims
at catering for young women
between the ages of 12 and
24. So far, the project has over
5,000 beneficiaries in eight
districts of Acholi and the
West Nile region.
Girls who are pregnant and
have children should be given
equal opportunity in schools.
Kicking them out of school will
simply enhance the pregnancy
cycle among them and their
children, say Rose Izizinga,
the chairperson of FAWE.
Beneficiary districts include
Gulu, Pader, Amuru, Lamwo,
Kitgum, Nwoya in Acholi
region and Adjumani and Arua
in West Nile.
Izizinga argues that
separating child mothers from

their babies is not an option

or solution to what she calls
an increasing vice. That is
why this project will have an
early learning centre for the
children of child mothers as
well, she adds.
In a related development,
the Girls Education Movement,
a national initiative
supported by the United
Nations Childrens Fund, has
been on since 2001. It has
several programmes such as
introducing clubs in school.
Through such clubs, girls
reach out to fellow students
and sensitise them about
the importance of staying
in school. Through the
clubs, girls also reach out to
communities to talk to parents
and young people about the
importance of educating girls.
In Kasese district, a local
initiative called Kasese Girls
Education Initiative, was
also formed to support GEM
activities. Many teenage girls
have been beneficiaries of this

initiative.
In developed countries like
the US, there are support
programmes for girls who get
pregnant in school. It includes
giving the students make-up
tests, providing free daycare
for the teen moms and bus
transportation for students
and their children.
In Washington D.C. for
instance, in the New Heights
Teen Parent Programme,
volunteers often check on or
text pregnant students and
young moms to make sure
they are attending classes.
When students miss school,
they take them homework
assignments.
About 600 students
participate in the programme,
which empowers students
with housing, child care and
parenting skills.
This package was made
possible in partnership with
the African Centre for Media
Excellence

20

MWALIMU

NEW VISION, Wednesday, June 24, 2015

NEW VISION, Wednesday, June 24, 2015

In Uganda, one out of every four teenage girls is either pregnant or

has had a child. In many schools, such girls are instantly expelled.
But, who is making schoolgirls pregnant? In the third of a four-part
series, Carol Natukunda unveils the reality of the matter.
He fathers a baby and takes a walk.
The pregnant girl does not report to
the Police. The picture of who this
man is remains a well-guarded secret
within the family.
According to the 2011 Uganda
Demographic Health Survey, 24%
of girls aged 15 to 19 are mothers or
pregnant with their first child. This
implies that out of every four teenage
girls, one is pregnant or has had a
child.
About 25% of teenage girls between
15 and 19 get pregnant annually in
Uganda, according to studies by the
Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Other
studies show that 24% of teenage
girls in sub-Saharan African get
pregnant before the age of 19.
The Population Secretariat indicates
that of the 1.2 million pregnancies
recorded in Uganda annually, 25%
are teenage pregnancies. This means
that 300,000 teenagers, who are in
most cases school-going children, get
pregnant in the country.

Defilement

WHEN THE PERPETRATOR IS

A FELLOW STUDENT

Who is
MAKING
schoolgirls
PREGNANT?

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
The Police say teachers, fellow
students,
bodaboda
cyclists,
businessmen and salon operators are
some of the common perpetrators.
On average, Kasambya Police Post
in Mubende district records at least
two cases of defilement every week. school girls admitted to having been
In fact, when a Mwalimu team visited in sexual relationships. Out of every
Kasambya town in Mubende district 10 relationships, four were with
recently, officers had just recorded a teachers.
case of defilement filed by a school
The survey, funded by the World
girl. The Police, however, declined to Bank, covered 380 schools in 17
divulge details of the suspect for fear districts in all regions of the country.
of jeopardising investigations.
It was carried out by the International
This is a rural area where girls, Development Consultants on behalf
especially those from poor families of the Ministry of Education.
are lured into sex with small amounts
A similar study of primary school
of money, said the officer in charge pupils in Uganda done in 1994 found
of Kasambya Police Post, inspector that 11% of girls said they had been
Patrick Zabikiire. We believe that the forced to have sex with a teacher.
statistics are low because people do
not want to report the crime. And the NAOMIS CASE
crime goes on, he said.
In Kasambya trading centre in
Zabikiire further revealed that Mubende district, press inquiries are
teachers are also perpetrators.
greeted with hostility as most of the
There is a school in this district affected parents believe that teenage
(Mubende) where five cases were pregnancy is a family affair.
attributed to the teachers, said
The man has agreed to give us
Zabikiire, declining to divulge details. money to look after our girl. What
Earlier studies have shown that is wrong with that? a parent asked
some teachers defile their students.
when we inquired about the
The 2014 national study on
case regarding her pregnant
Assessing Child Protection
daughter.
Safety and Security Issues
However, some of the girls
for children in Uganda
who spoke to Mwalimu
found out that teachers were
gave scanty details of
behind 24% of the teenage
the men responsible for
pregnancies, early marriages
their pregnancies. They are
and defilement.
nothing more than a bunch of
A 2008 study by the World
grown up men roaming the
Bank also revealed that 4%
streets; men whose actions
of upper primary school pupils
largely go unreported.
in Uganda had been defiled
He
is
a
by their teachers in the last
mechanic, says
one year. This means that
Naomi, a mother
43,000 girls in P5 to P7,
of a four-yearwho are between 10 and
old girl.
14 years old, had been
She conceived
sexually abused by the
while in S3
very people who were
at a school in
supposed to protect
Mubende. She
them.
was 16 years old
Overall,
the
then.
study
showed
He used to
that 10% of
give me gifts and
upper primary A pregnant teenager
sometimes pocket

When Sharon, 14, was in Senior One at Agape Secondary School

in Namutumba district, she got into an intimate relationship
with James, a fellow student in Senior Three.
He promised that if I accepted his advances, he would pay my
school fees and marry me after completing school. However,
after I got pregnant, he run away and I have never seen him
since, Sharon says.
Naigagas story is not any different from Sharons. A mother
of a one-year-old baby, Naigagas education journey was cut
short in 2010 after she had sat her first paper of the Primary
Leaving Examinations at Bugiri Primary School. Her boyfriend
was a 19-year-old student, studying in a neighbouring school. He
vanished after the news broke that she was pregnant.
WHAT BOYS SAY
While the Kasambya Parents Secondary School headteacher,
Lawrence Lumbuye, vehemently denies that learners are
responsible for the cases of pregnancy at the school, some male
students Mwalimu spoke to on condition of anonymity said teen
fathers were common among their peers in different schools.
However, they were quick to acknowledge that save for the
emotional strain, it would be easier to deal with the reality of
being a teen father.
All our agemates have girlfriends and they have sex without
thinking of the repercussions. You do not drop out of school like
the girls. And no one would know if the girl chose to keep quiet,
said a 17-year-old.
At least your stomach does not bulge so it remains a secret.
The only worry I would have is if I am forced to marry the girl,
or if I am taken to Police, said another student.

GRAPHIC BY TIMOTHY KATURAMU

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

Reproductive health experts call for the need to engage the
girls and boys in sex education.
Young people and adolescents in particular remain vulnerable
because they experience a number of challenges, including
body changes, sexual feelings and attraction to the opposite
sex. For the boys, they experience frequent erections, while
the girls experience menstruation, explains Deborah Naiga, a
community health worker in Kasambya.
Naiga contends that despite such body changes, the boys and
teachers should exercise self-restraint.
The Police call for sensitisation on the dangers of defilement,
a criminal offence that people should come forward and report.
The law must take its course whether it is a teacher who did
it, or a juvenile offender. Once evidence is adduced, we take
many of them to court, but I think some parents are ignorant
about this, says the officer in charge of Kasambya Police Post,
inspector Patrick Zabikiire.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

AGE
15-19

24%

Teenage girls aged between 15

and 19 are already mothers or
pregnant with their first child
One out of every 4 teenage
girls between 15 and 17 is
pregnant or has already had
a child

300,000
24%

A 15-year-old Primary Seven candidate of Gweri-Dokolo Primary School in Soroti district carrying a baby she delivered on November 1, 2011

School-going teenagers
get pregnant in Uganda
every year
Teenage girls in sub-Saharan

African get pregnant before

the age of 19

SOURCES: Uganda Demographic Health Survey, Uganda Bureau of Statistics

and The Population Secretariat
money. It was difficult to say no,
Naomi recounts.
Initially, she kept the identity of the
man responsible for the pregnancy
secret. However, as her belly protruded,
the pressure to reveal the beast that
did this to our daughter was mounting.
Her family asked Naomi to go and get
married to her husband.
Raised by a single mother, Naomi

25

was seen as a disappointment. She

was the last born in a family of 13.
Her response amidst the sobs had
been: I cannot get married to that
mechanic!
Everyone had been shocked, but
her pleas fell on deaf ears.
They insisted that I go and live
with my husband. However, he had
gone into hiding by the time I went to

4%

A 2008
study by the
World Bank
revealed that
4% of upper
primary
school pupils
in Uganda
had been
defiled
by their
teachers in
the last one
year.

his mothers home, Naomi narrates.

Both families and some of the
community elders had to sit and
discuss a way forward. They decided
that reporting to the Police would
complicate matters. The girl had to
stay at her in-laws home, where she
would get all the support she needed,
they affirmed.
Her husband resurfaced at the
house after tempers had cooled.
Naomi became a housewife. She
delivered in August 2011. However, it
was not long before Naomi fled her
marital home.
I told my mother that I wanted to
go back to school. Some relatives said
I was just going to waste her money
and conceive again. But how could I?
I already learnt a lesson, she says.
Naomi enrolled at Kasambya
Parents School. Today, she is
pursuing a certificate of nursing at
Rakai Nursing School.
Naomis four-year-old daughter
stays with her mother-in-law. Naomi
is sad that the man responsible for

Statistics
Since 2010, 19 teenage mothers have stayed in Kasambya
Parents Secondary School after they conceived. Of these,
n Two sat UCE in 2010
n Three sat UCE in 2011
n Three sat UCE in 2012 (one of them is a finalist in a PTC)
n Four sat UCE in 2013 (one of them is pursuing a course
in nursing)
n One sat UACE exams in 2013 (she is in year-one at
university).
n Three sat UCE this year
n Three students are in Senior Three
n One is in Senior One
her pregnancy has not shown any
sign of remorse. That mechanic
already has two more children from
different mothers. I would never go
back to him.
ANNETS CASE
The father of Annets daughter
is a builder. Annet is a student at

Kasambya Parents Secondary School

in Mubende.
He was our neighbour and he used
to buy me everything I wanted, even
without me asking. It was always a
pleasant surprise to receive them. The
day it (sexual intercourse) happened,
he called me to his house as usual to
pick my things.

He took me to his bedroom. I

knew what was likely to follow, but
I was too numb to raise an alarm.
He is much older than I am and I
did not know what would happen
if I made an alarm. Besides, he
said he would use a condom.
Unfortunately, he pulled it off in
the process, recalls Annet.
Her parents opted to settle the
matter amicably with the defiler
without reporting to the authorities.
Today, he is a free man roaming the
village. Annets mother takes care
of her grandchild as her daughter
goes to school.
Just like the case is for Annet and
Naomi, it appears that the men
responsible for making school
girls pregnant are always wretched
fellows who are seeking ways to
fulfil their lust.
This story was done in
partnership with the
African Centre for Media
Excellence

It is complicated if the relationship is between fellow students