Promoting Real Healthy Families: Home Economics

An healthy child: a key factor to quality education

Children and young people who receive a good quality education are more likely to be healthy, and those who are healthy are better able to learn.

Globally, according to the research conducted by a team of Kole Intellectual Forum, it revealed that: learners face a range of challenges that stand in the way of their education, their schooling and their futures. A few of these are related to their health and well-being. Estimates show that some 1 in 3 learners face physical violence in school and 73 million children live in extreme poverty, food insecurity and hunger. Pregnancy related complications are among the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19, and the study has also further communicated that, lack of physical activities have also contributed to poor performance in schools.

UNESCO who works to promote the physical, mental health and well-being of all learners in and through their education by reducing health-related barriers to learning, such as gender inequality, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), early and unintended pregnancy, violence and discrimination, and malnutrition on the other hand has this to say that:

The link between education to health and well-being is clear and is that, education develops the skills, values and attitudes that enable learners to lead healthy and fulfilled lives, make informed decisions, and engage in positive relationships with everyone around them. Poor health can have a detrimental effect on school attendance and academic performance. Health-promoting schools that are safe and inclusive for all children and young people are essential for learning.

Kole Intellectual Forum has a number of contributions to according to the details they've towards health matters with physical exercises as part of their strategies to deal with health condition of their students.

Advocating for a girl child through a poem

As time move nearer to the Graduation Day of Kole Intellectual Forum - academic year 2025; the team of Institute of Home Economics - have started to train their students with a poem that will be presented to the public to advocate for the empowerment of a girl child or a younger mother with the hope of empowering the society in question, in Kole District in Northern Uganda.

The title of the poem is that: 'Girl child a precious gift’ and the poem goes on as mentioned below:

'Girl child a precious gift’

Girl child, so precious. Yet always thought of as less in the society. She cries out to be educated. Yet always thought of as a coffee maker or cleaner. And all she wants is to be given a chance to realize her full potential.

Girl child, so precious. Yet most often goes unnoticed. She cries out to be educated. Yet in most families the boys are taken to school and she is left at home. And all she wants is that single opportunity to be saved from prostitution.

Girl child, so precious. Yet some thinks of them as curses, just because of their gender. She cries out to be educated. Yet most of them grow up listening to painful words that children shouldn’t hear. And all she wants is to be given that one chance to fulfil her destiny.

Girl child, so precious. Yet thought of as wife materials only. She cries out to be educated. Yet always thought of as not good enough. And all she wants is to be given the chance to become a better leader, a better lawyer, a better doctor among others.

Girl child, so precious. She cries out for help, yet no one seems to come to her rescue. All she dreams of is a world where people support one another and there is equality. Give the girl child the chance to get that respect which others get because of education. So that she can reach out to others, motivate and teach them.

Girl child, so precious. When she is born, she becomes a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. Educating a girl child is one of the most important ways of changing the world. Girls are future mothers and well mothers, you know them well enough. So please support girl child education, for a better tomorrow. Save one girl child today- it starts with me and you. Be the change that you want to see- and help put a smile on the faces of the little ones.