Share A Skill Project uplifts Teenage mothers in Madi-Okollo and Mukono Districts, Uganda

By Nyapendi Irene Best

“ A project led by the holy spirit” C

Share A Skill is a project founded by two university students Amanda and Miriam in Northern Uganda to empower teenage mothers with entrepreneur skills, counselling, Bible sessions to enable them cope with the consequences of early pregnancy and motherhood. The project is implemented in Arua and Mukono. ” The project was led by the holy spirit,” Miriam Said. The project is supporting over 20 teenage mothers. It started in 2020 after the increase of teenage pregnancy during the Covid 19 lock-down. They partnered with Red Cross and reached out to over 50 youths in Mukono. Their next project is in Nebbi during the Easter weekend.

Miriam Litani, CEO Share A Skill Project

Teenage mothers face hard consequences out of wedlock motherhood.

“The child mothers had lost hope, they had no future. But we restored hope in them through counseling and empowering them with entrepreneur skills,” Miriam said. Share A Skill project gives young mothers a chance to build a career through empowering them with entrepreneur skills. The project offers young mothers skills such as baking, making smearing oil so they can employ themselves. Projects like this are uncommon in Arua.

One of the entrepreneur skills offered by Share A Skill project.

Challenges faced during the implementation of the project.

The biggest challenge faced is inadequate funds. Most of the teenage mothers are from poor families. Convincing the teenage mother’s to work with them is also another challenge since most of them don’t want to e seen in groups with teenage mothers so they tend to shy off.

How can we help teenage mothers in our community?

” We need to show these teenage mothers love, give them emotional support, share the word with them, social support, refer them to rehabilitation centers such as Hope and Beyond in Rubaga,” Irene Ojambo said. Young mother’s risk poor maternal and child health, being isolated, attempting unsafe abortion, failure to continue with school and poverty.

How to curb teenage pregnancy

In the Whatsapp group; How to curb teenage pregnancy, the following solutions were suggested on how we can curb teenage pregnancy.

The Counselor emphasized that schools, churches and the community should work together to curb teenage pregnancy. Local actors should put in more effort and have counseling sessions for these teenage girls and boys.

The story of Justine as a teenage mother

Justine a resident of Makerere Kikoni conceived at the age of 16. Like many across the country, 18 year old Justin has faced challenges as a teenage mother. She is one of the teenage mother’s who has found hope when all was gone after a counselling session with Irene Ojambo, a counselor at Uganda Christian University.

 

Like many across the country, 18 year old Justin has faced challenges as a teenage mother. She is one of the teenage mother’s who has found hope when all was gone after a counselling session with Irene Ojambo.

Irene Ojambo, a counselor at Uganda Christian University educates youth on teenage pregnancy

The Trends of Teenage Pregnancy in Uganda (2017-2020)

 

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