According to a mini survey findings from just 10 districts (Ngora, Kyegegwa, Kitgum, Rakai, Kayunga, Ntungamo, Kayunga and Kasese), 2,300 school girls conceived and 128 married off during the lockdown. Much as most leaders are blaming this rising teenage pregnancies on primitive cultural practices, we must admit that the reluctance of the community and the leaders intensified the vice. Imagine, 20 cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancies have been recorded in Kamira Sub-county alone. These are the statistics obtained from district health and education departments, and the probation and social welfare departments. Think of the unreported cases, that means the number could be double or more!
The official legal age of consent into marriage in Uganda is 18 years of age and above. The parents/ care takers whose hands in whose gluttonous hands these children have been married off must be held responsible. Let the government caution and punish the parents for forcing these children into labor because it’s through these means that the perpetrators get a chance to their prey. Any person having custody of a child must protect that child from discrimination, violence, abuse and neglect. Sexual child abuse degrades and exploits children causing serious damage to cognitive, social and development of a child and might not only end up destroying her dreams but life to.
Through ought my entire life, I have never seen or heard of anyone getting rich out of receiving dowry from the parents of the lady getting married off. It’s such a huge shame watching parents trade off their children’s lives for mere peanuts more less food! Do the same parents realize that if they kept the same children in school, the benefits would quadruple and be more! This tendency of viewing children as a sourcing of income should stop. Are we so impatient and greedy in that we can’t we can’t let these our teenage girls thrive and fulfil their dreams and aspirations! Let us not give up due to COVID-19, there is life after this pandemic, will these children resume school after they have been defiled!
Almost all the attention and resources have been directed to elections apparently and all we have been availed with are the statistics. The incumbent, the aspirants and the voters care less, not knowing it’s the same defiled community they will be leading and dealing with! You can’t expect to have a successful term in office when the people you are leading are bleeding and drowning in illiteracy and mediocrity. Even when different non state actors have tried hard to get the situation at ease, little positive impact has been realized. Are our leaders seeing and aware of what is happening? Or they are part of the cause for the increasing evils! So sad! What is being done to curb these rates?
No sooner had we thought that homes are safer, than these statistics shocked us. The same children we are saving from getting sick from COVID19, are still getting sick anyway! Sick psychologically, the trauma of being forced into marriage under age is enough pandemic. You can’t be defiled and remain healthy! When will schools be open? And if they get opened, think about how school enrollment rates will be! Everyone is totally responsible for this, the parents, how will you always hold schools responsible for your children’s safety if ourselves have failed at keeping them safe ?The government, do statements like ‘omwana wa gwanga’ still hold any water? To the responsible ministries, aren’t you so embarrassed watching yourselves totally fail at your responsibilities yet funds are always allocated to you to fight the same every year! And to you the political leaders and the incoming ones, what is in your manifesto if the same population you look forward to leading is sinking in oblivion! To the police, is ‘serving and protecting the citizens’ still your motto? And to the rest of the community, every child matters, if the future of our nation is damaged, then we have nothing we are doing and there is no sense to it.
CAROL MUKISA NYANGOMA
Social Analyst
C.E.O WARM HEARTS FOUNDATION
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