Arua District is one of the districts in the West Nile region of Uganda. It has the fastest-growing population in the area, which has led to various issues affecting the people, such as high fertility rates, high teenage pregnancy rates, high rates of child marriage, low self-governance, poverty, and substance abuse.
The district chairperson, Mr. Alfred Okuonzi, highlighted teenage pregnancy as the most prominent issue. Arua has a 27% rate of teenage pregnancy, which is higher than the 25% rate for the entire region. To address this, the district has implemented various techniques, such as neighborhood watches and night patrols, in collaboration with the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). Additionally, the district has engaged parents through intergenerational dialogues and parent gatherings. These efforts have led to a significant decrease in teenage pregnancies, from 4075 to 1339, a promising sign of progress.
During the celebrations, Action 4 Health Uganda organized peer learning sessions where we engaged with the community, including people living with disabilities such as hearing impairment. These were school-going children from Eruba Primary School, where the event was held. This was a groundbreaking moment as we incorporated sign language interpretation into our message dissemination for the first time. Topics discussed included menstrual hygiene management. During this interaction, we learned of these young girls’ challenges during their menstruation periods. The district has only three schools that cater to the needs of deaf children. One of these schools, Eruba Primary School, hosted the World Population Day event.
Deaf children encounter challenges in communicating with their classmates, especially during their menstrual cycles, which can make them reluctant to attend school out of fear of not being able to seek assistance effectively. The school only has one teacher available to support the deaf students, leading to a lack of necessary support and resulting in frequent absences. This lack of support impacts the students’ learning and hinders their academic progress. “I learned how to use, change, and dispose of pads to maintain proper menstrual hygiene. I have also learned how to manage menstrual pains, and now I can teach other girls how to do the same. I thank Action 4 Health Uganda and other organizations for involving the deaf community and providing us with this educational teaching.” shared Peace Zainabu, a deaf Primary Six pupil at Eruba Primary School, Arua.
During the community mobilization for the World Population Day celebrations, the Youth Truck team visited various areas of Arua District, such as Ediofe, Vurra, and the Zombo-Congo border. They effectively heightened awareness about the upcoming event and conducted thorough demonstrations on the correct usage of condoms and femidoms. Following the demonstrations, they generously distributed these important items to the eager community members, who were enthusiastic about embracing and sharing the knowledge and resources provided. Their active participation in these initiatives is a testament to the community’s empowerment and involvement in addressing population-related issues.
