Related Articles
By Timothy Eodu
Karamoja Women Umbrella Organization, KAWUO has kick started it’s preparations to hold the second girl’s conference in Moroto district.
This conference which was launched last year will be hosted hosted yearly for the period of the project in the region to show case girl’s and young women’s advancement in leadership, advocacy and governance and dialogue with the relevent authorities on how to address challenges facing girls and young women in the region.
This is under the She Leads program currently being implemented in the districts of Moroto and Napak and supported by Terre Des Hormes-TDH.
According to Thomas Odelok the Chief Executive Director KAWUO, Planning ahead of time to ensure that inclusive involvement of all stakeholders including the girls and boy champions is better so that the people involved can prepare.
“We want an activity that will allow girls to showcase how they are benefiting from the project and what they would like Development partners and government to help them out with in area we may not manage, Thomas said.”
He said girls have to be on the lead to ensure that the community is steered ahead without discrimination. He added that with the support from the district leaderships of Napak and Moroto, a lot has been achieved with girls in society interns of capacity building.
Meanwhile William Lochodo, the Senior Probation Officer Moroto encouraged the girls to prepare in advance and present those pressing issues they interface with such that it can impact lives of those who may face similar situations when presented during the conference.
“Let’s not assume that there are no issues with other girls and women down there, if you people speak up during the conference, the rest can learn and believe that they can as well change the narrative just like you have or are doing, Lochodo said.”
He tasked the girls and boy champion leaders to be exemplary so that even their members and people in society cam emulate the same.
Whereas Dorothy Chegem, the project coordinator aluded that the girls conference has so far developed a number of girls from Karamoja who are coordinating the same program at the national level.
“With the continuous engagements we had with the girls, a number of them have gained confidence to speak on different foras. Recently during the day of the African child, one of them represented the region in a national dialogue in Kampala, Dorothy stated.”
The conference will be held next month (September) between 23 to 24 with the Theme: “Collective Responsibility, Eliminate Harmful Cultural Practices.”
The girl’s conference is expected to attract a number of participants including over ten girls and women groups, district officials, elders and other Development partners.
