“KINTU PETER'S QUEST FOR A HEALTHY AND EMPOWERED YOUTH IN BUTALEJA
In the heart of Namboole village, Nakwasi Parish, Butaleja District, Kintu Peter’s story is one of determination, change, strength, and the power of community-based approaches in challenging Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) challenges. At just 18 years old, Peter is redefining the health narrative of young people in his community. This is all attributed to his involvement in the Youth Champions Challenging Sexual Reproductive Health Stigma (YCCSRHS) project that is implemented in Butaleja, funded by CEHURD and implemented by the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF).
As a teenager like many of his peers, Peter initially struggled with health issues like urinary tract and sexually transmitted infections, driven by a lack of information about SRH, stigma, myths, and misconceptions surrounding SRH-seeking behavior, especially for men and boys. However, joining the Young Mothers Forum (YMF) sessions at Nabiganda Health Centre IV under the YCCSRHS project marked a turning point in his life. These sessions equipped him with many others the knowledge and skills in SRH and encouraged him to take an active role in his community that was mired by unprecedented SRH challenges.
About the Young Mother’s Forums (YMFs)
YMFs is a transformative and inclusive platform that brings together young mothers, young fathers, pregnant teenage girls, adolescent girls from underserved communities who are at risk of becoming teenage mothers, and adolescents in their diversities to share knowledge, experiences, unlearn, and learn critical SRH issues and principles of safe motherhood. Facilitated at Nabiganda Health Center VI and Busaba Health Center III in the district, the sessions at Nabiganda Health Center IV are held every Sunday, led by Evelyen Nekesa a peer mother, and Sister Aduru Salom, a midwife with UYAHF providing consistent follow-up and support. During these sessions, the group discusses the pillars of safe motherhood, such as family planning, antenatal care, (ANC), obstetric care, postnatal care (PNC), post-abortion care, HIV/STD prevention, communication around behaviour change and primary health care.
Motivated by the lessons and support from the young mother’s forum, Kintu decided to take the lead in addressing the challenges, including high rates of STI/STD infections, SGBV, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy faced by young people in his community. Every Sunday, he convenes over 20 young people under a significant mango tree at their compound for an SRH session focusing on breaking the stigma around adolescents and young people utilizing SRH services and sensitizing them so that they are confident to make informed decisions about their health while linking them to health facilities. This gathering has become a safe space for young people to learn, unlearn, and share experiences with their peers. So far, he has facilitated sessions on HIV, STD/STI prevention, correct condom use, and personal hygiene.
“Young people are shy and fearful. I have seen an incident where a boy almost died of gonorrhea because he kept silent about the disease for fear of mockery and shame. It got to the worst stage, and he was rushed to the hospital while in a coma. This silence is because people in this community laugh and make fun of you if they notice you have an infection. So, I found it important to create a space that can break such stigma and allow young people to feel comfortable to freely share, learn, and ask questions about their health,” Kintu noted.
He revealed that young people are now asking for condoms because they are now assertive about their health and know the importance of having safe sex.
“I feel glad that wherever I meet young people even those who are not part of these sessions, they ask for condoms and request that I supply them regularly. This shows me that the small group I lead always spreads the information,” he happily stated.
He now wants to speak to the in charge of Nabiganda Health Centre IV to create a condom bank in the community where young people can regularly and freely access condoms.
Meanwhile, recognizing the need for support for girls in his school, St. Marys Kapissa, who face challenges while in their menstruation, the 18-year-old senior three students reached out to the school administration, and with support from Nabiganda Health Center IV, he started conducting school sessions on menstrual hygiene, empowering girls with information about their menstrual health and their SRH rights.
Beyond health advocacy, Kintu is also making strides in economic empowerment. As a member of the Nabiganda Young Mothers Village Savings and Loans Association, he borrowed UGX 300,000 to cultivate an acre of rice. He bought a plot of land from the profits of his rice harvest and has also started a brick-making project, where he has already laid 20,000 bricks with a target of 40,000.
“The savings group taught me how to turn small money into big opportunities,” Kintu explains.
“Now I’m not only supporting my parents by making a small contribution towards my school fees, catering for my basic needs, and investing but also setting an example for other young people within the community.”
“I believe that young people should not just be job seekers but job thinkers,” Peter said passionately. “The savings group and the knowledge I gained from the several capacity building sessions organised by UYAHF have shown me that with the right mindset and support, we can create opportunities where none seem to exist.”
Peter’s community SRH sessions and entrepreneurial ventures have inspired many young people in the YMF group and his village. He exemplifies how young fathers and mothers can become champions of change, challenge stigma, and build better futures for themselves and their communities.
Kintu Peter’s journey serves as a powerful reminder that empowering youth is not just transformative for individuals but for entire communities.