Changing the Trajectory of Teenage Pregnancy: How Zoe Girls Health Initiative is Empowering Teenage Mothers in Eastern Uganda
Zoe Girls Health Initiative (ZGHI) is lately making significant strides in empowering girls aged 11-19 in Busoga, Eastern Uganda, to achieve their full potential and reduce teenage pregnancies.
This initiative is pivotal in addressing the public health concern of teenage pregnancy in Uganda, where children aged 0-17 make up 50.5% of the population and youth aged 18-30 comprise 22.7%, according to the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics’ 2024 Census preliminary results.
Daphine Nayebare, a midwife, founded ZGHI, drawing inspiration from her own experience as the daughter of a teenage mother.
“Despite many challenges, my mother was determined to provide for me and ensure I received an education,” Nayebare recalls.
Nayebare recognized the urgent need for a collective effort involving the Health Ministry and all community stakeholders to tackle this issue.
As of February 2024, Uganda’s national teenage pregnancy rate was 24%. A 2022 UNFPA report revealed that Uganda recorded 290,219 teenage pregnancies from January to September 2021, averaging 32,000 monthly.
Nayebare’s Zoe initiative, founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity by raising awareness about the dangers of teenage pregnancy and supporting pregnant teenagers through childbirth.
Some of the teenage mothers in one of the psychosocial rehabilitation session
ZGHI operates in various communities within Jinja City including Bugembe, Budhumbuli, Wairaka, Wanyange, Wakittaka, Buwekula, and Nakabango.
“We do not support teenage pregnancy but believe that pregnant teenagers should be supported to ensure they deliver healthy babies,” Nayebare explains.
The initiative has since implemented projects like psychosocial rehabilitation, vocational training, school campaigns against teenage pregnancy, a back-to-school project, and a digital literacy scholarship project.
“In our school campaigns over the past three years, we have reached over 1739 girls and 900 boys with awareness campaigns. While this might seem small, we aim to reach more numbers as our resources grow,” she says.
School children pose for a photo after a school campaign against teenage pregnancy.
The initiative’s Teen Mom’s Club provides antenatal follow-up, health education, and support for stress, anxiety, and social isolation.
Despite these successes, Nayebare notes that funding limitations hinder further progress and calls on other stakeholders to support her efforts.
ZGHI is organizing an Adolescents’ Reproductive Health Garage on August 24, targeting over 250 adolescents and seeking sponsors to make this workshop possible.
Teenage pregnancies contribute 17.2% to Uganda’s maternal mortality ratio, which stands at 336 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the UNFPA 2021 report. Nayebare’s work through ZGHI represents a crucial step towards reducing these figures and empowering young mothers in Uganda.
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Ugandan Citizen Abducted, Held in Secret Detention for Three Months, Sparks Outrage and Calls for Justice
A disturbing new case of unlawful detention has surfaced, highlighting the ongoing human rights crisis in Uganda. A Ugandan citizen was reportedly abducted and held in a secret facility, known as a “safe house,” for three months, only to be released without charge or explanation. This incident, reported by NTV Uganda, has sparked widespread condemnation and renewed calls for accountability regarding human rights abuses in the country.
While the details surrounding the abduction remain unclear, reports indicate that the individual was taken without due process and held incommunicado—an action that has long been condemned by human rights organizations. The victim’s release, with no charges filed and no clear justification, has angered activists and citizens, who view this as yet another case of egregious abuse of power by the state.
“This is a recurring pattern,” said one human rights activist. “Abductions, secret detentions, and unexplained releases have become all too common in Uganda. These acts violate fundamental human rights and erode public trust in the justice system.”
The use of “safe houses,” unregistered detention facilities reportedly operated by security forces, has been a focal point in numerous allegations of torture and illegal imprisonment. Despite repeated calls from both local and international organizations for their closure and accountability for those involved, little action has been taken to address these violations.
This case underscores the urgent need for reform within Uganda’s security apparatus and greater accountability for human rights abuses. Observers hope that drawing attention to these injustices will spur concrete action to bring those responsible to justice and ensure the protection of basic human rights.
As frustration mounts, calls for both domestic and international pressure to hold the government accountable for such crimes grow louder. “One day, there must be accountability for all these crimes against our people,” stated one social media user, reflecting the sentiments of many Ugandans.
National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi has accused Ugandan security forces of using excessive force to disrupt a planned NUP gathering. The allegations were detailed in a statement shared on Twitter, following an event held to honor children of NUP supporters who were killed, disappeared, or detained for their political beliefs.
According to Kyagulanyi, security personnel, under the command of an officer identified as Asiimwe, carried out a preemptive operation early in the morning upon learning of the NUP’s plans. The forces allegedly stormed the premises, arrested workers, and deployed tear gas to disperse those present.
“The criminals under the command of one Asiimwe deployed early morning, arrested our workers, and threw tear gas into our premises. They’ve cordoned off the premises and blocked all people from accessing the place,” Kyagulanyi wrote.
Among those reportedly arrested were Saava Peter, Mudenya Samson, and Turyasingura Samson. Kyagulanyi claimed the detained workers were subjected to beatings and interrogated about their political affiliations, with security operatives labeling them as terrorists.
“These JATT operatives asked the workers who they support politically, branding them terrorists and criminals—their only crime being that they work with us. You can imagine the indignity!” Kyagulanyi lamented.
This incident adds to the growing tension in Uganda’s political climate, where opposition parties frequently accuse the government of stifling dissent. Despite the challenges, Kyagulanyi ended his statement with a message of defiance and optimism, proclaiming, “UGANDA WILL BE FREE.”
NUP Gathering Disrupted: Kyagulanyi Alleges Security Force Harassment and Arrests
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Sudan Demands Apology from Uganda Over Army Chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s Threat to Invade Khartoum
Sudan has demanded an official apology from Uganda over “offensive and dangerous” comments made by the chief of Uganda army staff, who threated to invade Khartoum, the Sudan Tribune has reported.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and CDF of the Ugandan army, posted two comments on the X platform on Tuesday in which he threatened “to capture Khartoum” with the support of the US President elect Donald Trump after he takes office. The posts were deleted later.
“The government of Sudan demands and official apology from the Ugandan government for the offensive and dangerous comments of the army commander,” Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the Sudan Tribune said it has seen.
Sudan Demands Apology from Uganda Over Army Chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s Threat to Invade Khartoum