MESSAGE FROM DR MARY OTIENO,  REPRESENTATIVE, UNFPA UGANDA

In quarter one, UNFPA Uganda, in collaboration with UNFPA ESARO, supported the UNFPA FGM HackLab project, which aims at empowering young people, particularly women and girls, by providing them with the opportunity with platforms for collaboration and mentorship to tap opportunities and turn their ideas into transformative solutions and be game changers and drivers of a sustainable green future. The project also highlighted Uganda's Innovation work on hastening progress towards the three transformative results.

With funding from the Norwegian government, UNFPA Uganda launched a three-year project aimed at advancing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and youth in the Eastern Uganda districts of Kamuli and Mayuge in the Busoga region. The ‘EYE’ project aims to ensure that every adolescent and youth in the regions, particularly those who are least fortunate, have access to sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services, as well as the ability to exercise reproductive rights free of coercion, discrimination, and violence. This was a great milestone towards ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted and young persons potential is fulfilled.

In partnership with the UN Country Team, UNFPA also supported the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) with digital equipment to ensure a successful and legitimate exercise ahead of the National Housing and Population Census 2023. This will provide the necessary statistics on Uganda's demographic structure to monitor progress and impact future planning and decision making aimed at social and economic transformation. These stories and more show some of the actions towards achieving our greater mission of ensuring rights and choices for all. We thank our donors and partners for their continued generous support.

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