SRHR Alliance holds a national interfaith dialogue on adolescent health

14 August 2024, 4:50 pm

By Annet Nakato

As youths across the country continue to face various challenges, many have been pushed into actions that are sometimes harmful to their lives. In response, SRHR Alliance has launched the annual National Interfaith Dialogues with religious leaders from all denominations. These dialogues bring together religious leaders to discuss how faith-based approaches can address the causes and effects of teenage pregnancies among young people in Uganda.

During the Annual National High Level Interfaith Dialogue on Health of Adolescents and Young People at Hotel Africana in Kampala, SRHR Country Director Olga Daphine Namuguza called upon religious leaders to continue being champions for adolescent health. She emphasised the importance of preaching love, forgiveness, and transformation.

In his speech while officially opening the dialogue, Hon Salongo Micheal Mbwatekamwa noted that, the youth are mostly challenged by issues such as teenage pregnancies, child marriages, STIs, GBV and mental health which are all alarming. He stressed the need for awareness regarding youth sensitive issues as a way of finding solutions and creating a safe space for them.

Principal Education Officer from the Ministry of Education, Henry Semakula, appreciated the engagement of religious leaders in addressing youth challenges, as young people are more likely to listen and believe what they say.

However, he challenged everyone regardless of religious affiliations, leadership levels, or role as parents, guardians to work together to address the issues affecting youth.

Babirye Gloria, a youth with hearing impairment, expressed dissatisfaction with how churches often neglect the needs of youths with special needs like her. She called for the provision of sign language interpreters and other necessities, noting that the lack of these services leaves them behind.

Similarly, the Woman MP Wakiso District Ethel Betty Naluyima challenged religious leaders to never be afraid of pointing out youth issues if they are to fully solve them.

On behalf of the Orthodox church, Grace Kazibwe appealed to SRHR Alliance to provide handbooks to religious leaders so they can better understand youth challenges and get similar approaches on resolving them. Religious leaders from different faith affiliations had something to say: Rev Can Gideon Byamugisha representing the Catholic church testified how he has managed to raise his 3 daughters during their adolescence stage and helped them overcome temptations and traps. ” We need your prayers since we have to keep true to our faith and at the same time look at the reality in solving some youth issues as well,” he stressed.

The church of Uganda Provincial youth and student’s coordinator, Rev Richard Rukundo, revealed that he believes that they have not yet done enough on issues concerning the youth but after the policy formulation, he knows things will be better and the issues concerning the youth will be handled.

The youth leader from Born again Faith in Jinja City Pastor Micheal Ofaaki noted that, while solving youth challenges, boys and girls should be considered equally since some of their challenges are similar and need to be addressed taking the same angle.

A representative from the SDA denomination Jonah Kulaba revealed that their church adopted strategies to train the youth leaders in SRHR issues, who in return go to the grassroot and train their fellow youth to overcome the youth challenges.” We created a WhatsApp group where they openly share their experiences, and this is where we start from and engage them individually. Sheik Yusuf Lunabala who represented the Muslim faith, expressed dissatisfaction with mothers who leave the responsibility of discipling children in case of any negative action to their fathers who are very rude to them.

This has pushed away the youth looking at their parents as enemies and in this, they don’t open up to share their challenges with them.

This dialogue was held under the theme: “Bridging Faiths and Health: Harnessing Religious Leaders’ Voices in the Promotion of Adolescent Health in Uganda”