Gender Equality Uganda Project #11924

Empower 10,000 Vulnerable Girls in Uganda

by Just Like My Child Foundation

Empower 10,000 Vulnerable Girls in Uganda

Project Report | May 3, 2019
Girl Power Project - "Know Your Status" Club!

By Audrey Kanyesigye | Country Director

As part of JLMC's "Building Assets" activities with adolescent girls (under the tutelage of Population Council), we came to the conclusion that it was key to teach girls about ways to prevent HIV transmission. HIV still occurs at a high rate in Uganda. There are over 1.2 million people in Uganda living with the virus—0.5% for children between 0-14 years and 6.2% for 15-64 years, but the rate increases to 7.6% for females in this latter category.

For a long time now, Uganda has been fortunate to receive government aid for HIV testing through the Health Ministry to allow for early detection and treatment for those who test positive. The value of being tested for adolescents is that if they know that they are negative, then they are incentivized to keep it that way. And for the minority who do test positive, they are counseled and provided access to appropriate treatment immediately.

We provide access to HIV testing services for every adolescent girl and boy in our program, plus members of their community. The above photo is from testing done just last month—on April 3 at a Girl Power Project participating primary school—by professionals at our local partner health facility, Bishop Asili Hospital.

Thanks to JLMC contributers like you, we are able to provide each and every child in the Girl Power Project®—and their friends and family—with an opportunity to know their HIV status and take advantage of the benefits available to them. We tell our students and community members—if you test positive, get on treatment and live longer. If you are negative, seek ways to keep it that way!

Statistics show that empowered girls dramatically improve the wellbeing of their families, their communities, and their countries—multiplying the impact on society. Now is the time to even the gaps in opportunities for girls around the world, and we hope you will continue to support JLMC's efforts by contributing to the Girl Power Project!

Girl Power Project - Know Your Status Club Session

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