2 years ago, I was at University pursuing my bachelor's degree. During holiday, I went back to our village, when a 16 year old girl got pregnant. I scheduled for an appointment with her, got a private place. On meeting day, as seated on chair face to face. She touched her stomach, when turn eyes on me, she then put hands on table. She was crying, she had a 2 months pregnant, she was about to commit suicide. She then opened her pouch which had almost everything needed to commit suicide. I was shocked, I already had anxiety and this should have triggered me but I resisted as much as I could. She told me that I would have an found her dead if I had met her a day later. She stopped because of her respect to me because I used to visit her school giving them career guidance. We had a 1hour long meet up where Zi tried to understand everything to stop her. I asked her to talk to me.
She told me that, it was not her plan to get pregnant. It was because she didn't have access to pads and personal needs, that forced her to accept boda-boda man Hoping that she would get money. Unfortunately, she got pregnant, to. Make matters worse, the boda-boda man ran away.
I advised her to go for safe abortion, when she tried, the health workers didn't give her services claiming that, they needed parent approval who did not appear at hospital.
Few days, I was at University ans I heard that she went to traditional doctors she was nearly to death. Until when she we to hospital for post abortion care.
After treatment, she tried to go back to school, she was told that "you shall train our students bad habits". That's how she missed her Universal Secondary education exams and her future formal education. Many young girls in Uganda face challenges to access family planning services and they have inadequate access to sexual reproductive services, the existing laws and policies to not allow girls to exercise rights on their body such as abortion. I therefore decided to establish non-profit organisation called Action for Youth and Women Empowerment to advocate for rights of girls and Women, inclusive education policies. I am happy that, I participate in national meetings for stakeholders and civil society organisation networks to spear head the establishment of such laws and policies.