Fear held me back from confronting him...

The senior woman teacher and the club became my support system.

(This story is written verbatim. The names of people and places have been changed to protect the identity of the persons).

In Lona's voice.

In 2022, I joined secondary school. I was excited about this new chapter in life, the new journey I was embarking on. I was ecstatic! At first, I adored my new school, but it didn't take long for me to realize that something was amiss. Rumours circulated about teachers preying on female students, and I soon found myself ensnared by one such teacher. To make matters worse, he was a teacher of literature, a subject that I loved. Fear held me back from confronting him.

Unable to bear the burden of silence any longer, I decided to confide in the senior woman teacher. I poured out my heart, and she listened with empathy. Her first question was whether this was the first time the teacher had approached me, to which I reluctantly revealed it was the third time. What's more, I discovered that this teacher had a notorious reputation for targeting girls. The senior woman teacher not only cautioned me about the perils of such relationships, but also offered a solution. She asked me to join the peer educators club.

Intrigued, I eagerly joined. The club became my support system. That year, the senior woman teacher introduced the activities from UNFPA and Save the Children. The new programme [Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights – ANSWER] took our session to another level. We learned about the root causes of teenage pregnancy.

They talked to us about how to prevent teenage pregnancy. In the sessions, I realized that each of the girls was struggling with something – many girls resorted to forming relationships with motorcycle riders to meet their basic needs, trading dignity for necessities like soap, pads, clothes, sugar and even food. It was a destructive cycle that would eventually demand a heavy price – compromising education, health and futures in exchange for these fleeting comforts.

I learned about the dynamics of body changes, the menstrual cycle and personal hygiene. I could successfully track my menstrual days, which enabled me to manage myself and prepare mentally for menstrual days. Equally important, I acquired essential knowledge about maintaining personal hygiene during menstruation, a fundamental aspect of my health.

The knowledge I've gained isn't just confined to my own life; it has helped to support my friends when they face challenges. We talk a lot, especially about safe sex and how to go about it to stay in school. I am happy because I feel like I am on my way to fulfil my inspiration of becoming a lawyer.

About Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights – ANSWER programme

The ANSWER programme was implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) from October 2019 to September 2023, with funding from the Embassy of the Netherlands, in collaboration with Save the Children International.

The programme worked with young people both in and out of school to ensure that they are provided with age-appropriate, correct information on sexual and reproductive health and rights. This information is passed on through teachers and peer educators who have been trained in sexuality education.

Uganda, due to its young and rapidly growing population, faces significant sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges, particularly in Northern Uganda, where teenage pregnancy levels are very high, resulting in gender-based violence and overall poor outcomes for young people, especially girls. UNFPA continues to work towards empowering young people to make safe reproductive health choices and live their life to their fullest. We thank  the Embassy of the Netherlands for making our work with young people possible.