Parents champion HIV prevention among in-school adolescent girls, young women

“The mentoring sessions aim at addressing behavioural issues that shift adolescent girls’ attitude and practices towards HIV prevention, education, utilisation of the much-needed services in health and protection, as well as improved reporting and speaking out on issues affecting them and their rights.............

A peer mentor interacts with parents at Kireka Army Primary School. (Credit: Jacky Achan)
By Jacky Achan
Journalists @New Vision
#Parenting #Education #HIV prevention #Adolescent girls


WAKISO - It is age-old information that mothers look out for their children, especially girls, when still in school and beyond.

And for this, it is little wonder that peer mentors and parent champions (all women) were recently convened to assess how the “Promotion of HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women” at Kireka Army Primary School, in Kasoko, Kira Municipality in Wakiso District.

Peer mentors attend to the needs of in-school adolescent girls only, while parent champions offer training and social support to vulnerable young women in the community.

Kireka Army Primary School director of studies, Rebecca Waligita, welcomed the initiative to have peer mentors and champion parents.

“Parenting remains a challenge in our community, but I happy to note that at least now, among other life skills, our girls have been trained to speak out, be assertive and seek support when faced with any issues, both at school and home. This is going a long in keeping our adolescent girls safe from HIV and AIDS,” she said.

“The mentoring sessions aim at addressing behavioural issues that shift adolescent girls’ attitude and practices towards HIV prevention, education, utilisation of the much-needed services in health and protection, as well as improved reporting and speaking out on issues affecting them and their rights.

To improve access of adolescent girls and young women to to sexual reproductive health and gender-based information, reduces their vulnerability to HIV, teenage pregnancy and all forms of abuse and violence,” Carol Nakanwagi, the monitoring and evaluation officer at TMF, says.

At the end of the feedback session, 10 parent champions were selected. The champions will receive training every three months.

She adds that working with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS), they are implementing a one-year programme aimed at promoting and preventing of HIV and AIDS among 1,200 in-school adolescent girls and young women in Kampala (Kawempe Division, Wakiso (Kira sub-county) and Fort Portal City.

She noted that under the project, they are focusing on delivery of structured, systematic, deliberate and integrated mentor moments that provide continuous interaction between peer mentors on a weekly and monthly basis throughout the year.

Nakanwagi said in Wakiso, particularly, the project is implemented in partnership with Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) in six schools. 

Parents share feedback and testimonies with TMF and DREAMS officers at Kireka Army Primary School. (Credit: Jacky Achan)

Parents share feedback and testimonies with TMF and DREAMS officers at Kireka Army Primary School. (Credit: Jacky Achan)


Exposure challenges

Both Kireka Zone C Parents and Kireka Army Primary School face enormous challenges because they are located in a slum dwelling of Kasoko, which inevitably comes with vices such as sex work, drug and alcohol abuse.

These vices, according to Juliet Nakibirango, the DREAM officer for Kira Municipality, continue to expose adolescent girls and young women to HIV and AIDS, among others. 

“However, thanks to project, more vulnerable children and young mothers in the area are being protected. We provide educational support of the beneficiaries for at least one year, equip the beneficiaries with vocational skills, train girls vulnerable to HIV and AIDS to speak out and be assertive, but most importantly, engage with young mothers on the importance of keeping their adolescent girls in school.  So far, the results are promising,” she said.

Parents’ testimonies

According to Betty Tracy Nahigo, a mother, peer pressure, violent children due to violence in homes, school fees challenges, and girls withholding information were the major challenges that plague adolescent girls in spite of the positive impact of the project.

For Justine Nayondo, a beneficiary parent whose adolescent daughter has received school fees for one year, there is need to have boys brought on board, by also encouraging the creation of boy champions.

Florence Weraga, a peer mentor at Kireka Army Primary School, suggested some ways of helping the children better.

“Befriend your children, bring them closer to God (churches and mosques), tell your children the realities about life so they do not take anything granted, parents should not fight or quarrel before their children so as not to cause them trauma,” she advised.