Benson Katyango Boeing, a Senior Education Officer of Kotido district says girls are at the risk of dropping out of school once their parents don’t give them another chance to study and complete their education because despite early pregnancies.
Ensuring girls stay in school could boost the developing world economy by 21 billion shillings a year according to a new United Nations study. Girls are less likely than boys to complete schooling and more likely to face forced marriage, child labour, female genital mutilation and other undermining practices.
The campaign dubbed, national Campaign on Adolescent Girls, will be launched next week on the International Day of the Girl Child IDGC, a day designated for promoting the rights of girls and addressing the unique challenges they face.
Rachel Wade, the Director Help International says the campaign that will depend on locally available material will target school going girls who will in turn act as ambassadors.
The enactment of Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation -FGM Act has helped to considerably reduce the practice among the communities in the Sebei and Karamoja sub regions, according to the United Nations.
Christine Tekho a mother of nine children gave birth to her first child at 15 years in 1992. The first family planning programme was introduced in Katikekile sub county Moroto district in 1997. In Karamoja region, the more daughters a man has, the richer he is considered since each girl is equal to 100 cows irrespective of their educational level yet many of them do not get opportunities to study.
