Busoga: Access to education is a fundamental right of every child, which should be provided in a safe and conducive learning environment. The Government of Uganda has since made significant strides in improving primary and secondary school enrollment for both girls and boys, including those with disabilities, through initiatives like Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE).
However, for these programs to be effective, children need access to quality education and a violence-free environment to complete their education cycle. Unfortunately, research indicates that sexual violence against children in Uganda is widespread, occurring in almost all settings, including schools.
Scholars define sexual violence as an unwanted sexual touching, unwanted attempted or physically forced sex, sexual contact due to intimidation or coercion, and sexual behaviour that a person does not understand or give consent to, including sharing pornography, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation.
Community Concerns Uganda Initiative, a local non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating sexual violence in schools across Busoga, premiered a poignant documentary on January 30, 2025. The documentary, showcased at Continental Hotel in Jinja town, highlights the disturbing stories of sexual harassment and abuse among school-going children in the region.
The heart-wrenching film features young girls who became victims of rape by village men, resulting in unwanted pregnancies. Others shared their experiences of being harassed by their own classroom teachers.
Petu [not real name], a 13-year-old victim, shared her story of being raped by a neighbor identified as Hakim while collecting firewood. She became pregnant and was forced to drop out of school. Her parents’ efforts to seek justice were met with resistance from the perpetrator’s family.
“They said they couldn’t support with a deformity eye. Some people at our village laugh at me while others pity me and others don’t pity me at all,” she miserably said.
As an expectant mother, Petu said she never had any joyful moments until giving birth. She delivered the now a one-month-old girl after undergoing a surgery amidst her mother divorcing an economic struggling father.
Petu, who sometimes get overwhelmed with thoughts remains unwell after she undertakes all the motherly responsibilities at home. “I still feel the shock. I feel sad. I start to feel afraid, my heart races and I begin to shake and I start to worry,” she says.
Petu’s father whose names were not disclosed shares a heartfelt situation at home where the peasant wrestles to get ends meet. “The biggest challenge is feeding at our home. Even doctors told me that your child needs some passion fruit juice, but I don’t even have the money to buy it. So she has to manage without it,” he said, emphasizing that life is not very good.
Malaika [not real name], a 12-year-old victim, was allegedly dragged and raped by a 30-year-old stranger. She became pregnant and was forced to stop attending school. Her grandparents took her in and sold their land to pay for her hospital bills.
“When that incident happened, I was in Primary five and I had to stop school at that point,” said Mailaka, whose dream is to learn tailoring to take care of her baby girl.
“My grandchild here was the same age as her own daughter is when her mother abandoned her to me and I raised her. The villagers said I should make her abort the pregnancy, and they even abused me, but I told them no matter how much they abused me, I would not abort the child’s pregnancy, as only God alone can show her mercy,” said Malaika’s grandmother.
Similar stories of trauma and resilience emerge from Kevin, Joan, Femiya, and Halid [not real names] among others, all of whom were victims of rape. Their lives forever altered, they now navigate the complexities of motherhood while dealing with the emotional scars of their experiences.
Kevin, a 14-year-old teenage mother who met her sexual harassment while in Primary six said her pregnancy came after she took a small path from school and a man emerged from a side, raping her in a mongo tree.
The unidentified 40-year-old man with two wives after the illegal sexual intercourse gave Kevin Shs500 on top of threatening her not to reveal to her mother about what had happened. He was later arrested and charged.
Joan, a 13-year-old teenage mother says she became a laughingstock to both her school friends and locals when she got pregnant while the 16-year-old Femiya was in senior two when gave birth to a baby girl after being raped.
Femiya remains admiring her schoolmates who are carrying on with their education. “As they bypass me, I worry because I was also someone who used to study. Right now, my friends are studying while I sit here in the village,” she said.
“I felt bad because it was my first time. It was a forced sex and I had not to tell anybody. Just that we boys are somehow strong, I remained strong,” said Halid, a S.2 student at Bunya SS in Mayuge district.
Ms. Annet Balambe, a senior woman teacher at Bunya SS highlights the challenges of addressing sexual violence in schools. Despite her efforts to educate students about sexual violence, mental health, and child rights, she faces resistance and mockery from the students.
She said “When I enter class, I use at least five minutes to talk about sexual violence, mental health and child rights, but surprisingly as we talk about those topics to try to sensitize before beginning a lesson, students don’t take it serious, they start laughing at you and even tear off the chats installed on the walls.”
“This indicates that they do it because they show that you are talking to somebody who already know what you are talking about,” she noted, explaining that they continue to preach the gospel to them.
According to Ms. Balambe, sexual violence in schools has devastating consequences, undermining the children’s right to access quality education. Alarmingly, most cases of violence against children in schools go unreported, a significant crisis among the youngsters.
To address this issue, the government through the Ministry of Education and Sports recently established the Reporting, Tracking, Referral, and Response (RTRR) guidelines to provide a framework for reporting, tracking, and responding to cases of violence against children in schools. This aimed to ensure a safer and more supportive learning environment for all.
The collective narratives of these young victims point to a systemic failure to protect and support vulnerable children. Mr. Micheal Nanguru, a programs officer Community Concerns Initiative Uganda underlines that “It is essential to foster supportive community networks, provide comprehensive sexual education, ensure access to mental health resources, and address the socio-economic factors perpetuating cycles of violence.”
Mr. Nanguru emphasizes the significance of raising awareness and promoting initiatives that could help shift perceptions and encourage a culture of empathy, ultimately aiding in the healing process for these young individuals.
