Talent International.

Transcription

1 Talent International. LIFE STORY OF AIYO AGNES, A STUDENT UNDER THE CARE OF TALENT INTERNATIONAL. The high levels of poverty in Uganda have contributed to the persistent vice of girl child school dropout and marriage. According to the United Nation s Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), Uganda currently has 34.5 million people, about 23.1 million are prone to poverty, and about 8.4 million of them (about 24.5%) are trapped in absolute poverty. Further studies indicate that, about 67% of Ugandans are either poor or highly vulnerable to poverty, the expenditure review for Uganda 2012 by the Directorate of Social Protection in the gender ministry has revealed. 67% represented both Ugandans who spend below the poverty line of $ 1.20 (about sh3, 170) per day and those who are below twice the poverty line, $2.40 (about sh6, 340) per day. Where poverty is cute, a young girl may be regarded as an economic burden where one less daughter is one less mouth to feed (UNICEF 2001, Forum on marriage and the rights of women and Girls 2001; Mathur 2003 and Nour 2006).

2 Parents encourage the marriage of their daughters while they are still children in hope that the marriage will benefit them both financially and socially, while also relieving financial burdens on the family. Additionally, poor families tend to marry off girls at the same time to help reduce the burden of high marriage ceremony expenses. Aiyo Agnes avictim of a circumstance above narrates how poverty at their house hold caused her to drop out of school, and how she is battling out with her mother and brother for her to get married off. A born of 1994 in Moroto to Adero Hellen and Angodo Moses, in a family of seven, Aiyo is the second born to two boys and four girls. Both parents of Aiyo were peasant until when her father died in the year 2005 as a result of acute malaria. Her mother is struggling to raise them up through her business of brewing local alcohol in Moroto. Under such a circumstance, Aiyo is then obligated to head their family back home here in Amuria (child headed family) as the eldest child. However, due to the nature of the business her mother is doing, she is not able to provide for the family fully in terms of education, medical care, feeding that is (basic standards of living) for her children, this has compled Agnes to be the sole provider for their children through doing casual work like digging in the neighborhood gardens and quarrying as a means to sustain their family. During her primary school studies, her ant paid her fees until when she reached secondary two when she decided to withdraw her support due to malicious ideas from the community, how do you help someone when the mother is alive and is just prostituting in Moroto, such malicious statements prompted her to withdraw her support towards Agnes. This therefore meant that Aiyo had to drop out of school or pay fees for herself since the mother was also not willing to pay her fees. It is at this point when her mother and brother started forcing her to get married or pay for herself school fees.

3 Agnes with her siblings in the house they live. Agnes being passionate to education has been paying fee for herself through farming and baking bread or even through some well-wishers who have come in to help her pursue her studies. She is currently in senior four in Amuria Secondary School under the sponsorship from Talent International. Agnes at the front of their house as her siblings look on. Inside the house Agnes lives together with her siblings. (beddings)

4 A submission from L.C1 on Aiyo Agnes The family of Aiyo Agnes relocated to Amuria district, Aduka in 2008 from Moroto. Agnes was brought here when she was joining senior one in Amuria secondary school. She is a well behaved girl with an upright character and inter-personal relationship with her peers and the elders. Agnes walking out of their house.

5 Her mother stays in Moroto, this makes her the eldest in their family, therefore compelling her to take charge of her siblings in terms of feeding, medical care, clothing and their general up keep. Her elder brother Ekangu Abdala has often times beaten her and sent her out of home, demanding her to get married since he has looked at her being at school as a waste of time. These acts from her brother have most times made Agnes attempt to commit suicide though the neighbors have always come to her rescue. Due to Agnes humble character, her young sisters have also taken advantage of that character to always gang against her when she tries to correct them or even discipline them, case of this was a day when I rescued her from being beaten by her sisters and had to bring her to stay at my home for some time because of false accusations against her. My humble appeal to the sponsor to Agnes is to pay her fees until when she has completed her studies since she is a committed young girl with zeal to study. Agnes looking ahead as a sign of a vision to pursue A home where Agnes lives with her siblings.

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