Delay Marriage Promote Schooling for Ugandan Girls

In January, 2017, JFCU made an effort to evaluate the progress of The Empower Project in Karangura Sub County, Kabarole District. The title of the study was Promoting Girl-child Education: An Evaluation of the Empower Project in Karangura Sub County, Kabarole District. Activities of this project aim at ending child-marriage and promoting Girls’ Education in the rural areas of Uganda.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Empower project is an initiative of Joy For Children, Uganda (JFCU) that was started up as an effort to end child marriage in Karangura Sub County, Kabarole.

The Empower project operates with the guidance of the following objectives:

• To increase social action, acceptance, and visibility around investing in and supporting girls, and generating shifts in social expectations relating to girls.
• To advocate for an enabling environment that protects the rights of adolescent girls.

Unlike other parts of Kabarole, Karangura Sub County has stood out  for long as an area with the highest number of early marriage cases. This has mainly been contributed by the influence of culture and the impact of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) war of around 1997 to 2007. 

Culturally, the Bakonzo and Bamba have been marrying off their daughters aged between 12 and 14; the suitable age for children from P5 to P7. The Uganda (1995) constitution declares all people under the age 18 as children. According to Isis- WCCE research report (2011), the imposition of a marriage partner upon a child means a girl’s childhood, as well as their fundamental rights like education, is cut short. It goes on to say, many child wives in Uganda who should be in school or playing are living in near slave-like conditions in the homes of their in-laws. Please refer to Picture 1 in the attachments.

In addition to the above, Karangura Sub County had chocked with the heavy weight of post-conflict[1] effects. Early marriage finds a fertile ground in post-conflict situations where both girls and boys get sexually active early due to rape, forced sex and need to survive in situations where the basis of life is minimal (Isis-WICCE Research Report, 2011). It had also been said, in such an area, parents would marry off their daughters at an early age in the exchange for goats, chickens or cassava.

JFCU, through its Empower project, joins The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to condemn the practice of child marriage because it violates the (girls’) right to free and full consent to a marriage.  This follows reports by the media and documents by various organizations citing the high rate of early marriages in the sub county. The practice had been branded the major cause of high (adolescent) girls’ drop out cases especially in Mahyoro and Kibyo Primary schools.

The project was designed to breathe life through activities that include school out reaches, Girls Not Brides Clubs, Community events, communicating messages about ending child marriage, support for girls’ education, income-generating initiatives, publication of educational materials and evaluation reports. The Empower Project was set, for the first three years, to work with Kibyo and Mahyoro Primary Schools that taught about 350 pupils.  A target of 200 goats to be given to girls was set to improve on adolescent girls’ (home) income and also serve as bite to sustain their interest in keeping in school.

JFCU proposed working with 20 local leaders to help provide the impact of child marriage on girls and the community, save appreciating the value of education in social and economic development. In addition, 30 teachers were to be trained and supported through various through various economic empowerment and education activities.  11, 102 information, education and communication materials were to be produced and distributed with messages that address the value of education and delaying marriage. It was further targeted; more than 20,000 community members were to be reached through open community events and engagements.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study was conducted as a way of evaluating the progress of the JFCU’s Empower project in Karangura Sub County, Kabarole. It aimed at:

• Establishing the level at which the Empower project has supported families in a bid to keep their daughters in school.
• Assessing the extent to which the Empower project has increased awareness of the law against child marriage among the people of Karangura Sub County.
• Ascertaining the level at which Joy For Children Uganda, through its Empower project, has cooperated with the government to eradicate child marriage in Karangura sub county.

The study was conducted both qualitatively and quantitatively. Samples were of different categories as it for purposes of obtaining balanced data. The study involved:75 pupils (25 boys and 50 girls) , 20 parents, 10 teachers and 05 members of the Local Council III Executive. 

The instruments used in the study were generated locally. Parents and members of the LC3 executive were interviewed as pupils and teachers filled self-administered questionnaires. Items in the tools were arranged according to the set objectives for the Empower Project. Data was presented through the use of tables where it was quantified. Analysis was done basing on the figures obtained from responses in questionnaires and interview sessions.

After presentation and analysis of data, the following findings were reached at:

• The Empower project is legally carried out in Karangura Sub County, Kabarole. JFCU concentrates the project activities in Kibyo and Mahyoro Primary Schools in Kibwa Parish, Karangura Sub County.
• The project supports girls that are in (primary) schools. At the time of this study, 65 girls were being supported. All girls received goats. In addition, 30 of the girls are financially supported and 35 benefit in both forms of support.
• JFCU gives material support to girls from poor families. The support is both material and financial. Girls that excel in studies are given top priority.
• Schools lack washrooms for adolescent girls.
• JFCU works with local authorities in Karangura Sub County to support adolescent girls keep in school.
• The Empower project has greatly contributed to the formulation of by-laws at the sub county level that aim at ending child marriage in Karangura Sub County. For example; a fine of Ushs1, 000,000 (Ushs 500,000 from each party) is to be imposed on both the parents and the man that get into agreement of marrying off a girl that is below 18 years. The sub county leadership takes the money to the girl’s school where the School Management Committee decides on how the money can help fund her studies.
• The Empower project has contributed to the retention of the girl-child in Kibyo and Mahyoro Primary schools.
• Support to the girls expires on completion of Primary Seven.

Following the discussion of the above findings, the following conclusions were made;

• JFCU operates in Karangura Sub County and has won support of  both local authorities and the natives.
• Local authorities in Karangura Sub County are committed to working with JFCU to bring child marriage to an end.
• JFCU has supported girls from needy families with goats to help boost their families’ income and give them assurance of keeping in school.
• Beneficiaries of the Empower project keep in touch with JFCU through teacher coordinators in the two schools.

After the above conclusions, the following recommendations were made to the management of JFCU, schools administration, parents, pupils and the LC3 executive:

• There is need to expand the project to other parishes of Karangura sub county.
• There should be sensitisation of  beneficiaries on proper ways of looking after the goats received so as to prevent further loss.
• There should be clear principles to govern the management of goats donated.
• JFCU should allocate more funds to the Empower project to help care for beneficiaries even after the primary cycle.
• Parents in Karangura Sub County should look beyond the goats and financial support given to their daughters.
• Goats donated to girls should be cared for as required so as to minimize deaths and retarded growth.
• Parents should monitor their daughters’ education as a way of supplementing teachers’ effort to bring child marriage to an end.
• The office of the Chairperson Local Council III, Karangura Sub County should also put up ways of supporting young mothers in the sub county.
• There is urgent need of washrooms to promote menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls.
• School administrators should minimize teachers’ absenteeism so that the girl-child does not find it an excuse of doing the same or dropping out of school.
• Adolescent girls should be given career guidance so that they can keep focused and keep away from being lured into early marriage.

[1] ADF rebel activities of 1997 to 2007 concentrated in the Rwenzori region where Karangura Sub county is located.