Let The Girl Be works with vulnerable girls and teenage mothers between the ages of 10 and 18 living in rural Uganda (Shores of Lake Victoria). Girls face many challenges--forced early marriage and pregnancies, sexual exploitation, and lack of access to education. Since 2022, more than 40 girls have learned to sew and earn income, received mental health support, performed outreach in the community to create new messages about girls and their futures and received support to attend school.
The Mukono District on the Shores of Lake Victoria has a population of 3,000 girls and teenage mothers. Most families in our community still follow traditional and cultural customs--girls do not attend school and are responsible for the household chores (gardening, childcare, fetching firewood and water in distant and unsafe places). They are at high risk of teen pregnancy, early marriage, AIDs, and poverty. Girls have little support to navigate their lives and challenges.
LEGIBE is a safe space for girls to develop and share the challenges that they face living in rural Uganda. The Self-Sustenance program teaches the girls a skill (sewing and knitting) that can become a source of income. The Mental Health program provides girls with a space to share their lives and gain support to create a positive future. The Music, Drama, and Dance and Outreach Programs give girls a way to express their challenges and provide leadership to the community.
We are building support in the community to change some of the traditional practices that are harmful to the 3,000 girls and teenage mothers in our community. In addition, we are giving the girls the tools to create a better life--financially and emotionally. Through our programs, we are creating new leaders--girls who can express themselves powerfully, build with and support other girls, and create new possibilities for their futures.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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