By Weswa Ronnie
BUTALEJA
The Ministry of Education and Sports, together with a non government organization, Trailblazer Mentoring Foundation have organized debates in Eastern Uganda, targeting Butaleja and Luuka districts, as a way of ending teenage pregnancies, early marriages and school dropouts in the two districts.
In Butaleja district, four schools participated in the debate that took place on Tuesday, 30th July, 2024 and they included Bugalo college Bwirya, St. Mary’s secondary school Kapisa, Budumba ss, and Kangalaba ss.
The theme of the debate was “incorporating health education including sexuality education in the life cycle of children contributes to their overall educational outcomes”.
Rossette Nanyanzi, the team leader from the Ministry of education and sports thanked the teachers for ably preparing their students for the debate, and urged the learners to be agents of change along advocacy for creating awareness about the dangers of sexuality in society.
She explained that sex education is the information given to the boys and girls by aunties and uncles concerning marriage, while sexuality is the act of sex (conjugation), roles of gender and nutrition.
Nanyanzi asked the learners to courageously condemn defilement, and challenged them to be selfish with their private parts as they avoid careless touches.
She concluded by expressing the need to champion this debate before parents as well and assured the participants that the Ministry of education is ready to support this campaign.
Angela Nansubuga, another officer from the Ministry of education challenged the district local government of Butaleja to sustain the campaigns against early marriages, teenage pregnancies and other forms of sexuality.
Nansubuga, also urged the district leaders to include the religious and cultural leaders in the crusade.
Mike Yoga, the Deputy CAO, asked the learners to be champions of change, thereby encouraging their peers not to drop out of school.
Yoga, concluded by emphasizing that debates boost the reasoning for learners and also stated that politicians and lawyers earn from good art of communication.
Esther Adeke, the district education officer requested the ministry of education to organize a similar debate with the learners of Luuka district, where similar challenges exist.
She also regretted that Butaleja earned fame for having the youngest grandmother in the world, yet with a man who has largest family in the world.
Kassim Magombe, the district community development officer, said that any mistakes made at a tender age affect someone throughout the life’s journey.
Magombe, also said that technology has increased vulnerability for especially girls. He, however, asked the learners to put in practice what was debated positively.
Hashim Wabuyu, one of the participants in the debate, a student of St. Mary’s secondary school Kapisa, decried that many children are suffering from kwashakor and other diseases which require change of diet, but the locals seem to be half baked about the relevancy of health care. He therefore urged his fellow students to create awareness about such challenges.
Wabuyu also said that through the teaching about health care, girls today attend schools freely amidst their menstruation periods.
But Shamrah Wenene, and Jodana Mugoya, participants from Bugalo College Bwirya, reasoned that the teaching about sexuality has increased immorality, incest, abortion, homo sexuality and lesbianism in society.
According to them, the students once taught about sexuality tend to seek discovery of what was taught.
Wenene, additionally reported that cases of bestiality (sex between man and animals), have severally featured in Nawanjofu Sub county, her area of origin. She claimed that some of the actors were punished harshly when they blamed their temptations on sexuality education which they attained in schools.
Importantly, Butaleja has the youngest grandmother, now at 31, while one Musa Hasahya Kaseera, a resident of Busaba town council, has 10 wives, 98 children, and now 600 grandchildren.
