GOMBA: In an effort to curb growing cases of defilement and spread of HIV/AIDS in one of the youngest districts, officials have teamed up with various NGOs to effectively sensitize the public on dangers of early sex in the central Uganda.
Mr Geoffrey Kiviiri, the Gomba LC 5 Chairman during the district celebrations of the World population Day and Day of the African Child held at Kanoni play grounds recently stated that the NGO projects are mainly targeting teenage girls who are increasingly being turned into young mothers in the district.
“Young girls in Gomba just like all other parts of this country are still facing challenges like dropping out of school, early marriages and pregnancies all of which negatively affect their full potential,” he said.
Kiviiri further stated many of the defilement cases that are reported are between teachers and pupils, “I want to rally all teachers in the districts to act responsibly and professionally when parents entrust them with the care of our children” he said.
Mr. Robert Kadando the manager of TASO foundation in Entebbe, one of the NGO’s that are set to work with Gomba district officials stated, “Prevalence of teenage pregnancies and also HIV/AIDS infection here is very high compared to other parts of the country, here in Gomba you find a 15 year old girl has a child but has already divorced from her first marriage because parents prefer to marry off their children than educating them.”
Kadando further stated that the NGOs are set to skill school dropouts so as they become responsible adults.
Kanoni LC I chairman Mr Abbey Wasswa condemned parents for neglecting their parental roles “Parents you have turned your children into a business, you report to police and the defiler gets arrested, at the same time you go and negotiate a payment deal behind our backs with the same defiler to have the criminal case brought to a close” he said.
Ms Juliet Namatta an 18 year old mother of one who got married last year at 17 years of age said: “I dropped out of School in 2010 when I was in Primary six at 12 years of age, my father had no more money to pay for my education, so he took me to kyazanga to work but things didn’t work out well so I came back home and I found a man who impregnated me and last year he married me.”
Ms Joelia Namugerwa, the district probation officer while talking to Daily Monitor stated that poverty and conservative culture play a major role in influencing girls to resort to early sex in the area.
“On a weekly basis we receive three cases of defilement and during holidays from school, the number goes up to 5 to 6 cases, being a cattle corridor, the Balaalo and Bahima have a culture of marring off girls early” she said.
She further blamed the lack of court in the area to handle defilement cases as a promoter of defilers to carry out their acts since they know they won’t be convicted of their crimes and parents for ignoring their parenting part to ensure that their daughters attend school .
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
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