By Amira N. Jabr | Education Intern
The world has marked October 11th as the International Day of the Girl. In spirit of this day we conducted a three day workshop on October 18-20, attended by 33 girls aged 12-18 from Everest College - a school nearby Shanti Uganda.
In Uganda nearly one in every two girls is married before the age of 18. As a part of our endeavor to address the needs and challenges these young girls face, the Teen Girls Workshop is a central part of our educational programs at Shanti. In the workshop girls learn about physical, reproductive and sexual health, family planning, gender roles, as well as the development of personal values, goals, and career planning.
Joan, a bright and bubbly 16 years old girl in Senior 3, was one of our remarkable participants in the workshop. In her free time, she enjoys singing, hanging out with friends, and dreams of being a surgeon when she grows up. Joan has shown great enthusiasm in attending the workshop, adding that “as a girl I feel that I am physically weak and vulnerable in my society, and I wanted to come to this workshop to learn more about physical and sexual health, and receive counselling.”
Joan adds that it is important to shed more light on the importance of respecting women’s bodies. She also enjoyed making her own personal reusable sanitary pad.
With your support, Joan and many girls have been able to be part of our trainings, and we look forward to continue with our workshops in order to be able to provide this opportunity for more girls.
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