The Soroptimist International President’s Appeal project, ‘Opening Doors to a Bright Future,’ is making strides towards empowering marginalised women, girls, and their communities. Focusing on delivering tangible benefits to the lives of women and girls, the President’s Appeal aims to provide quality support through education, mentorship programmes, and access to information to empower them to make informed life-choices and tackle the multiple barriers faced by women and girls today.

The second project of the appeal is currently ongoing in the Soroti District of Eastern Uganda in partnership with Rose Academies, where 30 out-of-school girls and young women aged between 11 and 22 years are being provided with the opportunity to learn and feel safe while they are in school. Additionally, the programme aims to educate girls on nutrition and healthcare, life skills, and parenting, so they understand the values of education and are inspired to stay in school to make better-informed decisions about their lives.

Recently, Rose Academies provided an update on the project’s progress so far, detailing the involvement of some of the stakeholders who have been central to realising the aims of our appeal. This includes the role of Rose Academies’ own staff, District officials, the Director of the target school, and one of the girls participating in the project.

Currently, the programme supports 30 impoverished girls through their education, whilst also promoting positive legal and behavioural change at all levels from the local community to broader political constituencies. The need to expand the curriculum to include adequate education about healthy practices, nutrition, and sexual reproductive health has also been emphasised throughout the programme, with the intention of promoting sustainability within the project and empowering young women with the knowledge required to pursue healthy lifestyles, alongside the ultimate goal of inspiring the pursuit of knowledge.

The handing over of scholastic materials to the beneficiaries was held on Tuesday, 9 February 2023, at Dokolo Township Primary School, Gweri Sub-County in Soroti district. Here, Clare Ainomugisha, the Rose Academies program director in Uganda, lauded Soroptimist International for collaborating with them to uplift the girl child. She was accompanied by Haidar Luboobi, the Rose Academies Nutrition Director, and Simon Atodu, Rose Academies’ Team Leader for Soroti District.

The scholastic materials included pens, pencils, books, mathematical sets, rulers, and reams of paper, among other essential items. The girls were also given white T-shirts to be worn during co-curricular activities and school uniforms to be worn during class hours.

The Soroti deputy District Education Officer, Jennifer Ilenyot, presided over the official induction of the girls in school, which involved paying school fees and handing over scholastic equipment to the thirty beneficiaries. She urged parents to have a positive attitude towards their children, especially since some of them are teenage mothers.

Furthermore, the parents of girls within the programme were told to engage in economic enterprises to save money to further these girls’ education once they complete their primary seven, while the school administration were advised to involve the girls in different activities and allow them to take up leadership roles as a way of not discriminating against them. Finally, Ilenyot also stressed the need for the teachers to teach children life skills and do routine counselling with the girls, especially since they have been through a lot already.

The school Director, John Robert Oiko, promised to work hard with his staff to ensure that the girls pass well. He also promised to get a safe place for the teenage mothers to breastfeed their babies when brought by their parents, as the lack of these facilities often serves as yet another barrier to education. Toward the end of this induction, Director Oiko applauded the parents for letting the girls go back to school and not sending them off to get married, as some of them were already teenage mothers. He appealed to them to always support their daughters during the holidays so that they can stay in school and also not overwork them since they have to study for their final exams.

Jerusha Akello, 11, also expressed her gratitude for being among those who acquired the scholarship. She promised to use this opportunity to study hard and achieve her dream of becoming a doctor and said she prays that God blesses the sponsors and grants her the wisdom to understand all that she will study. Her words reflect the impact that this project has had on the lives of young girls in Eastern Uganda, providing them with access to education and empowering them to pursue their goals.