Every year the International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March to highlight the achievements made by women across different sectors. The day also aims to create awareness for women to take a stand for themselves and fight against gender discrimination, reproductive rights, gender work related biases, Domestic violence and abuse against women in the communities.
On this day, conferences, rallies, debates, and discussions are organized, and women across the globe participate in these events. Some women even narrate their stories and also make their voices heard. The Roses of the Rotary Fellowship for Empowering Women (RFEW) joined the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s day by visiting a teenage mother’s facility – Wakisa Ministries in Wakiso District.
The visit was inspired by one of our guest speakers Vivian Kityo who also happens to be the founder of Wakisa Ministries and a yellow Rose of the fellowship. In one of her presentations she shared the dilemma of teenage pregnant moms and how the pandemic had greatly contributed to the rise in the teenage pregnancies. In a hopeless situation the girls needed support in form of counselling, sanitary items like diapers and soap, food stuffs, clothes etc. The center largely depends on donations from well-wishers and friends.
The institution accommodates teenage mothers ranging from 13- 19 years and is supported by staff including teachers, matron, kitchen staff, and counsellors among others. They girls are empowered with counselling, vocational training and life skills to help them cope with life after giving birth.
To mark the day, the Roses celebrated sisterhood by donating relief items including diapers, soap, foodstuffs, vegetable seedlings and cash contributions. Besides shared a meal with the girls, we held very interactive sessions including sharing stories, counseling, empowering and skilling the girls in urban farming and paper bag making.
The day ended with planting of vegetable seedlings in their gardens.
Collectively we can choose to#BreakTheBiasagainst teenage pregnancies in our communities as we serve to change lives.
By PAG Flavia Serugo
Membership Chair- Rotary Fellowship for Empowering Women
www.rotaryfellowshipforempoweringwomen.org
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