Uganda: Second chance gives hope to Bukedea school dropouts

For three years, Shamim Amongin, a resident of Kacoc village, Malera sub-County in Bukedea District had dropped out of school after conceiving and at barely 14 years , she was a mother.

An orphan, Amongin could not continue with school but thanks to a second chance she was able to return to school and sat for her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in 2015.

«I was about to sit for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) when I got pregnant. I was ashamed of myself and decided to abandon school altogether. When I gave birth, I resigned to my fate and was seriously contemplating marriage. While all this was happening, my former classmates moved on. Some of them have completed Senior Four and one has even joined a nurses’ training school,» Amongin says remorsefully.

Perhaps she would have got married but the advice of another teenage gave her a new lease of life.

She convinced her to pursue education. Amongin is grateful for the counsel because last year she sat for her PLE and scored aggregates 17.

«Some boy lured me into sex and we eloped to his aunt’s place. I realised later that I was pregnant and thought there would never be another chance but now I am back at school,» Amongin adds.

The campaign

Like Amongin, several other girls in Bukedea District who had abandoned school after conceiving or marrying have since been re-enrolled in schools and are now crusaders of the second chance campaign aimed at re-enrolling school dropouts in the district.

«I am now more empowered than before and aware of my sexual and reproductive health rights. No boy can lure me anymore into situations I am not prepared for,» said Dinah Adeke, another teen mother who has returned to school.

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These success stories are a result of support from Build Africa, a local charity organisation supporting pupils’ retention and secondary transition for rural children. The organisation believes hope for such children and their best interests are to be taken back to school.

Problem at hand

Martha Among, 18, spreads out cassava to dry. She is one of the school dropouts, from Kolir, Bukedea, who have returned to school under this initiative. PHOTOs BY RICHARD OTIM

According to a study conducted by Build Africa in 2013 on educational performance in Bukedea, there had been 60 per cent dropout cases among girls in the district most of whom could not continue with education due to early marriages and pregnancy.

The survey indicates that lack of financial resources at household level to support children remain in school is one the factors luring girls to early marriages and teenage pregnancies. Relatedly, the inability of children themselves to cope with demands of staying in school are some of the causes to increased dropout incidences in Bukedea District.

Penetration

At the start of the Second Chance mobilisation for children who have abandoned school in Bukedea District, it was estimated that the school dropout rates in the sub-counties of Malera and Kolir was at 75 per cent.

Through the Rural Education for Secondary School Transition and Retention (Restar), a pilot project by Build Africa to assess relative effectiveness of different interventions in addressing bottlenecks to educational transition for rural girls in Bukedea District, at least 278 pupils and mostly vulnerable children, especially those from poor families have since been enlisted back to school since 2013.

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The initiative aims at enhancing secondary education, transition and retention for rural girls through improved attitude towards girl child education among parents in rural areas has enabled children from poor families to successfully make the transition from primary to secondary education.

«Perceived benefits and relevance of education for girls by the parents and children and associated costs of education need to be addressed for improved retention and transition of girls in their education,» said Abraham Obwakori, a programme Officer at Build Africa Uganda.

He said with introduction of Universal Primary Education, enrolment of children to schools in Bukedea had risen to more than 90 per cent in 2012 but just 52 per cent of these were able to complete the primary education cycle and this has significantly affected transition of the pupils to secondary school.

«Although government introduced the Universal Secondary Education (USE) in 2007 to address transition challenges for children from poor families, not many children and especially girls in Bukedea have been able to proceed with secondary education,» Janet Amulen, the Community Development Officer (ACDO) in charge of Malera sub-County said.

With the peer-to-peer outreaches and community meetings, school drop outs who have returned to school and now commonly referred to as the second chance champions in the district have also been engaging parents to be more supportive to those who are seeking to return to school.

Aftermath

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Shamim Amongin preparing maize for threshing at their home in Bukedea.

«These girls have attested that their parents and guardians are now appreciative of their aspirations to proceed with education through consistent provision of scholastic materials and visits to the schools,» Khasfa Okedi, Bukedea district LC5 secretary for education said.

The head teacher Malera primary school, Fred Oduut said guidance and counseling of teenage mothers who have re-enrolled by senior women teachers and coupled by remedial lessons by other teachers has fostered positive environment for the SCCs to stay in school.

He said community leaders and sub county authorities have also been involved in monitoring of girls who have re-enrolled to school, while they are at home and school thus ensuring their regular school attendance.

«This provides higher prospects for sustainability of this approach. The girls are trained in community advocacy and this has equipped them with invaluable skills to positively engage and enlisting other girls to support the back to school campaign,» Oduut said.

Research has proven that marrying at a young age and early sexual contact put girls at higher risk of sexual health problems, including HIV, and makes them more vulnerable to intimate partner violence and sexual abuse than those who marry later.

statistics

The Uganda Demographic and Health Survey report from 2011. It estimated that 30.3% of teenage girls in Eastern Uganda had had a live birth or were pregnant.