Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda is a non profit community based initiative with a special focus on villages in Kayunga District. The organization was created with the aim of providing critical assistance to former street children, orphans and families struggling in terrible poverty through micro-entrepreneurship programs, orphans and poor children educational sponsorship, sexual reproductive Health and rights, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs, vocational skills for self-reliance and literacy skills.
Over 80% of the population where we work are dependent on low level subsistence farming which is mainly for food with no viable source of income and survive on one meal a day. This has accelerated the vicious cycle of poverty and high illiteracy rates because it is nearly impossible for these families to educate their children making it difficult for the residents to get access to services and opportunities. Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda has come up with holistic multidimensional programs in education, economic development, and public health in order to define appropriate sustainable development solutions and empower children and families to help them out of poverty
How we work with under-served girls
Among other programs, Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda is implementing a program against early child marriage that builds capacity of adolescent girls from poverty stricken families by creating educational opportunities and providing quality education through girl child empowerment which has a number of benefits including; later age of sexual debut and marriage, reduction in poverty, higher wages, smaller family size, lower infant and maternal mortality, higher rates of school enrollment for future children, and, notably, a reduction of HIV rates.
Why focus on education for girls
Education is widely credited as the most significant factor for delaying girls’ age at marriage (Mathur, Greene and Malhotra 2003; United Nations Commission on Population and Development 2002). It is thought that education enhances girls’ autonomy, giving them negotiation skills in choosing a partner and influencing the timing of marriage (Lloyd and Mensch 1999; NRC/IOM 2005). More studies have shown the important role that education must play in efforts to eliminate child marriage. Research by UNICEF shows that the more education a girl receives, the less likely she is to be married as a child. Improving access to education and eliminating gender gaps in education are therefore important strategies for ending the practice of child marriage.
For 17 year old Imelda, her dream of becoming a nurse would have been just that. A dream! Now in Senior 4, Imelda Nassanga looks forward to changing the world.
“When I was 13, I was just 2 days away from getting married to a man almost thrice my age when I was discovered by Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda who have paid for my education ever since. This year I will be finishing my Senior 4 and enroll in a nursing school because I would love to become a nurse or midwife.” Says Imelda.
Need of intervention from government and other stakeholders
Ending child marriage would bring huge economic benefits to Uganda. According to the World Bank, it could boost the economy by US $2.4 billion a year and bring higher living standards to all citizens yet delaying a girl’s marriage can increase her earning by 14% as an adult.
Therefore ending child marriage requires consolidated efforts of all organizations and stake holders including government, civil society organizations, Non-government organizations, Faith Based organizations and Community Based organizations. Therefore, networks, coordination and collaboration of all different stake holders and organizations from community to national level should be strengthened.
