By Benjamin Jumbe
Child rights activists have been asked to focus on giving hope to teenage mothers in addition to material post-Covid-19 assistance.
The call comes amid growing concerns over the worsening state of hopelessness among these children who remain uncertain about their future despite some interventions by various stakeholders.
According to a report released by the U.N. in 2021, close to 645,000 teenage pregnancies were registered in Uganda between March 2020 and September 2021.
Faith Ojambo Mugume, the senior manager program support at Compassion International, says to-date they continue to witness the pandemic effects on the girl child with some not being able to resume formal learning and opting for vocational training.
She thus says it is important to focus the vital efforts of communities and child rights activists working to advance the rights of children on sowing seeds of hope.
According to the 2021 World Bank report, almost half of Uganda’s population is comprised of children from the ages of 0 to 14 at 46 percent of the general population, and one that was hardest-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is against this background that the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has organized a stakeholder’s national conference being held in Kampala today to create a platform for engagement on the critical issues about children rights, laws and social-economic agenda especially during and post COVID-19 era.
