At Front Institute of Business and Vocational Studies, our primary goal is to support teenage mothers, Orphaned and Vulnerable Children, the majority are either infected or affected by HIV/ AIDS. The majority of the families in the Front Institute and Sule International have an average number of six children per household and they struggle to survive by doing odd jobs.
The following excerpt was taken from a November 2020 article published by Global G.L.O.W.:
“In Uganda, as with many other countries around the world, Covid-19 has resulted in an increased rate of teenage pregnancy. In order to gain basic necessities like sanitary towels, girls have engaged in transactional sex with men who take advantage of their need for money. “Having been impregnated, this has not only ruined my future but also the trust that my parents had in me,” says Jane, who is facing a pregnancy at just 14 years old. Now, she finds herself out of school and afraid for her future. Jane is not alone. In the Kitgum, Ngora, Kyegegwa, Kases and Lyantonde districts of Uganda, close to where Art of a Child operates, there have been more than 2,372 teenage pregnancies during this lockdown. Adding to the burden, many girls are left without a partner and find themselves having to be the breadwinners of their families.
Teenage pregnancies, among other risk factors, are adding to the number of girls who are not in school. Even before Covid-19, there were 98 million adolescent girls worldwide who were not in school and research suggests the pandemic could add an additional 20 million. Incidence of early-childhood marriage is also on the rise as poverty caused by the pandemic has forced families to marry off their daughters to help alleviate financial burdens. In addition to early marriage, many girls are also having to enter the workforce at a young age to help provide for their families. In some communities, girls are also forced to take on much of the domestic work at home, keeping them from seeing their friends and joining community-building activities. When schools reopen, many of these girls will not go back.”
The situation described by Global G.L.O.W. is very commonplace in Uganda, and only 1 in 4 students who enroll in primary school will enroll in secondary education. This leaves an unskilled and uneducated work force, damaging communities and families at a cellular level. The Front Institute is dedicated to changing this reality, providing teenage mothers with adequate training and access to education at no cost. Diplomas and certificates women can receive from the Front Institute encompass trades like tailoring, computer science, nursery teaching, electrical installation, welding, hairdressing and cosmetology, art and leather crafting, baking, and business administration.
Ways you can help the Front Institute fulfill its mission include:
- Praying with us (email us to let us know you are praying for the students!)
- Telling your friends about us
- Donating used computers, laptops, sewing machines, or buy new equipment for the school (proposal costs available upon request)
- Visiting the campus for a study tour
- Regularly donating just $1 – it can feed 2 students a day!
- Sponsoring a child/student for an entire year at $120
For more information on the need for aid in Uganda, visit UNICEF at https://www.unicef.org/uganda/what-we-do/adolescent-development
Sule International Academy 