BUKWO YOUTH ADVOCATES CHALLENGE AREA WOMAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT TO RESPOND TO THE HEALTH AND UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUES FACING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT.
Young people in Bukwo district led by a team of 8 Power to Youth advocates have asked the woman member of parliament Bukwo district, Hon. Chemtai Everlyn, and the district leadership to urgently respond to the health and unemployment issues facing the young people pointing out that lack of access to health services has orchestrated teenage pregnancy and HIV new infections among young people specifically in Kaptererwa subcounty.
This call was made recently during the crowning of a week-long integrated community health and school outreaches focusing on challenging harmful practices and addressing health challenges affecting young people through cross border dialogues to end FGM, male engagement forums to challenge SGBV, School outreaches to address menstrual hygiene challenges and free medical health services organized by the Bukwo district local government in partnership with the Power To Youth program. Power To Youth (PTY) is a 5 year advocacy program funded by Sonke Gender Justice that is implemented by a consortium of three partners including Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), Uganda Youth and Adolescent Health Forum (UYAHF) and The Eastern African Sub- regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI).
Bukwo district is among the areas in Sebei sub region renowned for practicing cross border Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) among other pressing health challenges including child marriage, teenage pregnancy, SGBV and period poverty. According to a September 2024 article published by the Nile Post, Ben Sakajja, the Bukwo district Community Development Officer, revealed that the district registers more than 80 cases of domestic violence each month, some cases of which involve children, painting a grim picture of the escalating crisis.
According to the New Vision, Over 200 cases of child marriages and teenage pregnancies are reported in Bukwo district annually. This has been attributed to poverty, poor parenting, the poor justice system, and the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cultural practice. Ben Sakajja, the Bukwo District Community Development Officer noted that on average they receive about 10 cases of defilement every month. He further pointed out that since FGM is still widely seen as a rite of passage into womanhood, it continues to be a significant contributing factor to child marriage within Bukwo. The PTY program, already in its final year aims to amplify the voices of young people to speak against issues that affect them, claim civic space, hold leaders accountable, and challenge harmful practice, including FGM, SGBV, child marriage, and teenage pregnancy among others.
Young people in Bukwo continue to face significant health challenges, particularly in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Limited access to contraception, inadequate youth-friendly health services, and the rising rates of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were among the key concerns raised during the event.
They voiced out that Kaptererwo subcounty has only one health center, Kapkoloswo HC III, which is also understaffed in addition to the continuous regular drug stock out. Additionally, they explained that many young people are unable to access the services they need due to stigma from health workers, long distances, and inadequate medical supplies.
“We appeal to Hon. Chemtai Everlyn, Woman MP, with her powers and with the commitments she always made to lobby for improved health services tailored to the needs of young people, including equipping local health facilities with essential SRH services and hiring trained personnel to offer youth-friendly services without judgment or discrimination. We also suggest that the short-term intervention can be holding regular mobile clinics to ensure that health services reach areas far away from the health facilities” noted Cherop Anita, PTY Youth advocate, Kaptererwo.
The youth advocates also highlighted the high rates of un employment among young people which they say has created more problems as many of them struggle to find decent work opportunities, pushing them into risky behaviors such as transactional sex and early marriages as a means of survival.
“The lack of vocational training centers and job opportunities has left many of us vulnerable to economic hardships. The available government programs like the EMYOGA, PDM and Youth Livelihood programs are not transparent and are poorly implemented by the responsible district authorities who front their own people, such as friends and relatives sidelining the real beneficiaries.” Said Kiplimo Harrison, Youth advocate
They further urged Hon. Chemtai Everlyn to push for government investment in vocational training and entrepreneurship programs. They called for the establishment of initiatives that would equip young people with skills in agriculture, carpentry, tailoring, and other trades, enabling them to become self-reliant and contribute to the local economy.
In response to the youth’s concerns, Hon. Chemtai Everlyn acknowledged the challenges facing the young people in Bukwo and pledged to advocate for better policies and funding to address these issues. She assured them that she would work with the relevant ministries and development partners to improve access to quality healthcare services and create opportunities for economic empowerment. She informed the congregations that a plan is already underway and funding has been sent to the district to commence the construction of a health Center IV in Kaptererwo, which she says will try to bridge the current health care access gaps.
“Despite these issues, I still want to encourage you not to give up on government small grants programs, please continue to form groups and ensure that you are organized so that if we address the elements of corruption within these structures, you are also ready to put to proper use the funds. I promise to engage with district and subcounty leaders among other stakeholders in devising solutions that would directly benefit the youth, ensuring that your voices and concerns are heard at policy-making levels” Hon. Chemtai Added.
The Bukwo district Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Bessie Modestar Ajilong who was also present at the event among other top district officials committed to follow up on some of the demands of the young people especially on the youth empowerment government programs to ensure they benefit.
“I am glad that these issues have been presented here on the face of the district and local leaders. Like my colleague Hon. Chemtai responded, we are going to work closely to hold them accountable, address the issues that are within our capacity while we lobby for more opportunities for young people”, Ajilong added.
The Power to Youth Integrated School and Community Outreaches in Keptererwo and Kortek served as an eye-opener, emphasizing the urgent need for action to improve the health and employment conditions of young people in Bukwo. The dialogue between youth advocates and Hon. Chemtai Everlyn was a step in the right direction, but there is still much to be done.
Authored By; hmusa@uyahf.com, nnakyegera@uyahf.com, praisem@uyahf.com.