Advance Afrika is implementing the “Community Response Actions to Reduce Teenage Pregnancies in Busoga and West Nile” project (ATP). This is a three-year action implemented in partnership with Echoes of Children Voices (ECoV, co-applicant) and Help Disabled Children Excel (HEDCHE, associate) with funding from the European Union. The overall objective of the action is to empower teenage mothers to live dignified lives and enhance community engagement in upholding the rights of girls in the prevention of and response to teenage pregnancies targeting the Busoga and West Nile regions. The intervention seeks to achieve three specific objectives: SO1) To strengthen communities and government structures to prevent teenage pregnancies and promote the rights of girls; SO2) To ensure that teenage mothers are reintegrated into society and/or education services; and SO3) To enhance the capacity of local CBOs to address issues of teenage pregnancy and other social injustices (against vulnerable individuals) in communities.

The action is in response to the rise in teenage pregnancies in Busoga and West Nile. A total of 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020 and 196,499 in the first six months of 2021 (UNFPA). The most affected districts in Eastern Uganda were Kamuli district (6,535), Luuka (5,111) and in West Nile were Arua (4,705) and Nebbi (3,668). The major causes of teenage pregnancies include forced marriage, poverty, low educational levels, inadequate knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, lack of life skills, neglect by parents, sexual abuse, media influence; peer pressure; early marriage/childbearing, lack of role models, behavioural barriers to adolescent family planning uptake even when the services are available.

A project inception meeting was organised in each of the target districts to present the action to the stakeholders. Participants were able to learn about the project, its implementation areas and stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities. Key district actors welcomed the intervention calling it timely. The RDC Luuka District said that young girls, even those that were now young mothers, should be encouraged to return to school and learn. He also pledged support for action and all efforts to ensure that young girls go to school. The Vice Chairperson of Kamuli district also pointed out the fear of young girls accessing health centres due to shame. This would indeed endanger the lives of these young girls and their unborn children. It is therefore key to ensure that they access antenatal care from their respective health centres. She further encouraged the use of role models who can share their experiences so as to have young girls learn from others that have been in their shoes and made the right choices. Many of the district leaders also appreciated the fact that the action will also target boys as any solution that does not look at them is incomplete. The meetings were all concluded with a promise to support the action.