This past weekend (May 1 – 4) was one of the best I have
every experienced here in Uganda. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the
first ever Let Girls Lead and Girls’ Voices Initiative workshop that took place
in Kampala. I cannot tell you enough how
amazing it was to be a part of and I feel so lucky to have had our organization
attend. I learned so much and also met some amazing people who are working to
make Uganda a better place for women and girls. It was so inspirational.
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| Priscillar, myself, and Gift |
Winnie Gift and Nsemerirwe Priscillar both 14-years-old from
Kyebambe Girls Secondary School in Fort Portal and both scholars of The Kasiisi
Project attending the four day training with me. For both Priscillar and Gift
this was a new and exciting experience. Gift had never been to Kampala before
and Priscillar had only been to the Kampala bus park. When we arrived at the
Silver Springs Hotel one of the nicer, Indian run hotels in Kampala – they were
in awwwww. (The hotel was lovely and I would recommend it to anyone who wants
to put out the shillings to stay there). The girls had some culture shock when
they got to the hotel and I had to show them how to use a shower and they
needed a little reminder on how to use a toilet. The room also had air
conditioning that took them some time to get used to it. They also got to try a
lot of different foods which ranged from American, Indian, to Ugandan. It was
for sure the best food I have had here in Uganda. They had a mochachinno
machine and chicken that was not boiled to death. Priscillar also got up the
nerve to swim in a swimming pool for the first time, something she was
terrified of but ended up enjoying it greatly.
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| Goofing around on Photo Booth |
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| The girls the first night at the hotel |
Let Girls Lead and Girls’ Voices Initiative works on
grassroots campaigns, leadership, and promoting girls rights with governments
and United Nations Leaders. It is also focused on Girl-Centered Advocacy for
the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
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| Gift with a former Uganda MP |
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| Discussing Early Marriage |
38 girls from across Uganda ranging from 10 to 19-years-old
attended along with 20 women leaders all looking for the goal of making sure
young girls are included in both the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the
Sustainable Development Goals which will be put into place in September at the
United Nations general assembly.
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| Working hard on their projects |
Gift and Priscillar will bring their skills and knowledge back
to their communities and educate 20 other girls about leadership, advocacy, and
the Girl Declaration. Priscillar has already done an activity talking with
girls at her church about education and leadership. Gift is brought the
importance of education to her community last week.
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| Talking about the UN |
At the end of the workshop, the girls presented different
solutions for four issues that the girls agreed upon that are currently affecting
Ugandan girls: Education, Sexual Harassment, Early Pregnancy, and Early
Marriage to officials from UN Woman, UN AIDS and officials from the Ugandan
government, and various women organizations in Uganda that advocate for women
and young girls.
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| Gift and the women organizers |
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| Priscillar and the women organizers at the closing BBQ |
The girls had so many different stories about their lives
here in Uganda and also the women leaders who many have started their own NGOs
or work with organizations that help women and also girls. During the trainings
of the chaperons I was in ah of how strong and passionate these women are about
helping change things in Uganda and I learned so much from them in the short
time we had together. I also made some friends that I cannot wait to get to
know over my time here.
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| The Girl Declaration created by girls around the world |
It was such an amazing experience with so many stories from
Gift and Priscillar, showing me their communities’ problem trees they created
and also their life timelines that gave you a real insight into the every day
life they live here. Seeing those two girls stand up and tell the whole group
of 50 plus people press included who they are with confidence was so inspiring,
I may have cried a little. Most importantly they got to learn about how they
can make chance in their communities and even at the national level.
Here are two different links about Let Girls Lead and the
work that has been doing on around the world to change how girls are seen in the world.
One of my favorite photos (among many!) is of you with the young women talking about early marriage. Can you feel women everywhere sitting at the table with you? Love you, dear daughter.
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