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Uganda
“Madam, can I get a pill for pimples?” This question was put to me by one of my students at Kasese Women’s Learning Centre and I realised that young women the world over have the same concerns. We are (or have been!) all concerned with how we appear to others. Are we attractive, or are there things about us which spoil how we look? And in fact the question goes so much further than skin deep. Do I have worth or value? This is the real question we ponder deep down.
Women are so often undervalued by society and consequently suffer from low self-esteem. Traditionally in Uganda, it is the women who carry the load as far as domestic work is concerned. Their daily duties are many – necessitating early rising and working long after dark. So here in Kasese, Western Uganda, parents in the past have often not considered it necessary to send girls to school when they will only be digging and doing domestic chores in later life. That attitude has now changed but, even where they appreciate the value of educating their daughters, if money is short it is the girls who miss out.
So Kasese Women’s Learning Centre aims to give young women another opportunity if they have been unable to complete their secondary education. We combine literacy with practical skills such as cookery, tailoring and computer. The curriculum also covers life skills and basic aspects of health and nutrition. We strive to build up the confidence of these young women and to show them they are not helpless. They are valuable members of society who can do something to improve their lives. They can acquire skills which may help them to overcome poverty and become financially independent.
The centre comes under the umbrella of the Mothers’ Union and is part of the Diocese of South Rwenzori. We employ local teachers and our cookery teacher is herself a former student. Masika Enid, aged 22, attended an introductory course and, showing promise, was then invited to work as assistant to the Church Mission Society worker who was teaching cookery. Later, she was appointed to take over the teacher’s role.
Introductory courses at the centre last for three months and aim to reach as many women as possible. Afterwards, some students, having gained confidence, go on to further studies and some find employment with local businesses or become self-employed. However, the problem of poverty remains and even though skills can be learned, setting up a small business requires capital which most do not have.
But what these women all have is the desire to see their lives and the lives of their families improved. Masika Sylivia, now on Stage Two, sums it up very well, “I want to say ‘no’ to sufferings as a woman of Africa.These classes will help me be bright in mind and achieve a bright future. I want to be an example to other women who have dropped out of school.
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