By Patrick Kigongo | Project Leader
“You cannot change your past but you can influence your future.”
This is the motto that has fueled Violent (18), a beneficiary on Act4Africa’s Adolescent Mothers training program at Kathy's Centre, Eastern Uganda. This International Women's Day we bring you her story of determination and aspiration.
“Having lost both parents at very a tender age, I felt like the world had closed in on me; with all my hope gone and future seemingly cut. Indeed their death meant an end to my education while I was just 14 years, as none of my close relatives could carry on paying for my school fees as my parents did.
“My life became so miserable. As is the common norm for most young girls in my community, there was pressure for me to marry, since I had already dropped out of school; something that I almost gave into. However, I saw the troubles and miserable life that teenage girls in my community go through, as a result of being married off at an early age, and this gave me a change of mind.
“My determination in refusing to marry at an early age did no go down well with some of my relatives, as they felt it was a denied opportunity for them to gain materially from the would be in-laws, as the custom is in our tradition.
“However, living in a community where in every 10 homesteads you find 5 are teenage mothers, I have many teenage mother friends. They luckily introduced me to the weekly health education, entrepreneurship and skilling program that Act4Africa runs for young adolescent mothers.
“I was excited to be part of this weekly program, as it rekindled my once childhood aspirations, that had faded, of becoming a powerful businesswoman in this community of Mayuge.
“The entrepreneurship skills offered during the weekly session have enabled me set up a backyard vegetable garden and once the vegetables are grown, I will be in position to sell and earn.
“I am surely grateful for this opportunity, that has helped unlock and discover the hidden potential in me.”
Act4Africa is competing for a place on the GlobalGiving Girl Fund. Help us make our way up the leader board by donating to this project on or before 13th March. If successful the funds received will allow us to put upto 45 adolescent mothers through our comprehensive training programme at Kathy's Centre, empowering and enabling them to take control of their future just like Violet.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
