Young Womens' Empowerment, Uganda

In Uganda, girls and women do most of the domestic chores. Most girls do not attend school. Photo: WFP

The Foundation for Development of Needy Communities (FDNC) is a local non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1996. It strives to actively promote the productivity, innovativeness and self-reliance of girls, women, youth, and children. FDNC is an NGO working in alliance with others to promote social justice and development for sustainable livelihoods within vulnerable communities. FDNC believes people have a right to a just and equal society, and is committed to making that right a reality for people living in difficult circumstances on the margins of needy societies. FDNC works together with grassroot communities for sustainable development in Uganda.

The majority of the Mbale district’s women are widows and single mothers, whose poverty and struggle to survive forces situations of elicit sex, childbearing, and poor hygiene. Beginning from birth, girls in Mbale experience the "apartheid of gender," where their fundamental rights to nutrition, health care, education, equality, and often survival itself are restricted or deprived. Despite the introduction of a Universal Primary Education (UPE) campaign, 70 percent of the girls in this district still do not attend school. Girls spend as much as 80 percent more of their time than boys doing domestic tasks. Many health problems afflicting women begin in childhood, a result of the lower value placed on girls. Additionally, many girls in Mbale continue to be forced into early marriage, hence their higher pregnancy risks and rates of sexually transmitted infection and death. Currently, the ratio of HIV/AIDS and other STDs affecting girls to boys (15-19 years old) is at 4:1. Culturally, girls are led to believe that one’s status as a wife is proportional to the number of male offspring one has; therefore, frequent pregnancies are common, as women seek acceptance and approval. Government health statistics report that teenagers’ account for 30 percent of women who die each year in Mbale from pregnancy and childbirth. Poor education for girls has led to poor self esteem, low paying jobs, high illiteracy rates, and a host of other problems that prevent girls and women from taking a full and equal part in society. Research has confirmed that illiterate girls/women typically have less healthy children. There is a need to begin to change girls’ status and sense of empowerment. Too often, young girls are subjected to unfair labor practices that begin in childhood and result in fewer chances to prepare for life. Young girls employed as domestic servants in most homes in Mbale have no legal protection and are frequently subjected to slave-like conditions that may also include sexual abuse. Currently, girls already contribute a great deal to their family’s economic development, but their contributions go undervalued or unrecognized. Thus, it is evident that there is need for a concerted effort to create awareness of the pressures and impediments girls face; and there is a continuous need to support educational, community service, and youth programs devoted to promoting girl child advancement.

The project is to be located in Mbale, headquartered in Bungokho County. The population in this area includes 101,000 women and girls between the ages of 10 and 30, with approximately 61percent having dropped out of school before completion of their primary education. The main beneficiaries will be children/girls. Secondary participants include parents, single mothers, widows, the elderly, women in position of responsibility, and the community. Overall, by the end of the pilot phase (year one) of the project, at least 9,000 girls will have benefited through increased access to education and knowledge on reproductive health; at least 500 girls will have had access to profitable vocational/employment skills; 50 civic clubs will have been established for creation of opportunities for girls, and discussions among peers, parents, and the community; at least 80 child- and elderly-headed families will have been assisted with income generating and food security support. The local participants will include our target group (children, youth, women, families), as well as FDNC Board of Directors, staff of FDNC, volunteer teams, and the populations with whom we work. Others, such as civil leaders, interest groups involved in implementing programs at grassroots levels, will also be part of program planning and implementation. In total, the potential number of direct, indirect, and community participants may reach approximately 15,000 by the end of the first year.

The goal of this project is enable girls to grow in self-reliance through education and advocacy of girls’ and women’s rights, and through the provision of better access to education and skills development. The specific objectives are: 1) to improve future opportunities for at least 9,000 girls through the provision of improved access to reproductive health services and through an increase in awareness regarding the importance of girls’ education – including the education of parents and communities on the future consequences to girls because of the negative perceptions attached to the cultural and traditional beliefs about girls; 2) to empower at least 500 rural girls with leadership and vocational skills to support themselves and to educate the community; 3) to provide educational assistance (scholarships) to at least 30 girls from vulnerable family situations; 4) to reduce the number of uneducated girls and street children through the alleviation of poverty and improved nutritional status of children in at least 80 poor families; 5) to stimulate a new vision for the future of young women through the establishment of a rural resource center that will provide education about development, gender issues, and general community development; and 6) to improve the work of FDNC and its development agents, through the facilitation of and provision of institutional strengthening resources.

The FDNC approach is community based, with the aim of strengthening the family unit of the girl child. FDNC believes that the family and schools are the best place for girls’ growth and development. This project includes:

Intensive advocacy through home/school visits, counseling, seminars, workshops and trainings aimed at empowering women and girls;
Education through sponsorship programs and awards recognizing girls that excel in their classes in rural schools;
Vocational skills training in tailoring, catering, secretarial, carpentry, masonry, etc.;
Improved household income generation and food security through the provision of milk goats (through a pass-along credit scheme) to vulnerable and marginalized families; and
Networking with other girl child empowerment programs and relevant government ministries to facilitate the sharing of information, experience and other resources.

Support for Church World Service helps make this program possible.

Updated 9/20/04

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