“I am generation Equality: realizing women’s rights” 

By: Frederick H

Balance for better, better the balance, and better the world. A notion that will pierce through our ears as we listen to all talk geared towards equality, this 8^th of March 2020. In a tweet by the UN Women earlier this week, the fact that no country in the world has achieved gender equality by 2020 was highlighted. This brings into the spotlight the intentions of the Beijing declarations and how much of it has been implemented? Gender equality is should not be looked at with bias, we should seek to understand the positives that have come with it. Equality has come with an increase of opportunities, an increase in knowledge of all people regardless of gender, and improvement of the standard of living of societies due to the increase in the number of people participating in income-generating activities in families and societies. This notwithstanding the challenges perpetrated by stereotypes, rigid cultures and customs, unrelenting religious values that never put into consideration the aspirations of the girl child, and barbaric laws that come into place as a result of state anarchy. Celebrating International Women’s day does not only remind us of how progressive a society that seeks development should carry itself but challenges us to join a progressive movement to live and work for gender equality in our societies. Prince Wako foundation has and will always live for girl child empowerment, starting from the grass root at an earlier age.  We saw the need for information and guidance in most rural communities in Uganda. Our commitment led us to organize several counseling sessions in rural schools in Eastern Uganda. Complementary therapist Josephine Sandra Nagayi, our Ambassador at Prince Wako foundation taught us better through counseling sessions. In most cases, girls in rural schools drop out of school due to a lack of confidence in who they are, others lack inspiration due to a series of failures around them. Having overcome a series of life challenges to become a counselor of repute, Sandra chose to share her inspirations and knowledge with several of these girls in schools we visited in 2019. In all these sessions our call rang through several ears. There was a need for perseverance through the pain that surrounded the girl child in rural areas, as they strived to go through school. We in an actual sense give examples of successful women to most of these girls to instill hope in them, regardless of the circumstances, they can also make it in life. Through one on one sessions, we listened to a series of concerns from these school-going girls, which we were able to forward to school authorities, parents, and local authorities so that they feel safe as they strive to make it in life. This being a brick added onto what they want to build for their future. Our counseling sessions also include career guidance, where relevant and marketable paths and skills are exposed or introduced to girls in rural schools, enabling them to choose their paths wisely.

Did you know that giving brings a certain sense of happiness that is easily equated to eating food of your best choice? Throughout last year, Hilda Nabuya our project coordinator dedicated more time to the available beneficiaries. From school-going beneficiaries to girls in the football arenas to orphans in need of life basic needs. Her commitment sprung directly from our organization’s core values of giving and opening our hearts to the poorest of the poor. In schools, we availed and still do provide sanitary pads, campaign for clean water, and skill single parents in a way that supports them to pay school dues for their children. In a society where we need to help one another, care and giving should propel us as we look forward to eradicating poverty and fostering growth in our societies. At times, donations lead us to refugee camps. These temporary shelters remind us of the humanism we must exercise every day of our lives. The girl child in need is all over and all around us. Our efforts must be geared towards improvement and making the world a better place despite the challenges.   In efforts to consolidate our cause, work got us into exploring the girl child in need in Kenya, South Sudan, and the Congo border.

Did you know that distress that befalls most women or girls in Sub Saharan Africa is intertwined and interconnected?

Early marriages are greatly influenced by poverty and rigid cultural values that stand against progress and development in the modern world. From our research episodes, we now know that most of these challenges must be solved by looking at a series of challenges. Fighting poverty in most of the rural areas will work for hand in hand with education to stop child marriages. With several efforts going across borders in different countries that are in need of progressive efforts, gender equality will eventually reign. Right information trickling down to the right people in rural areas is an effort that we gave great attention to. In rural areas, most families have different ideas about children with Down syndrome. Whereas there are efforts that can improve the lives of those living with this syndrome, ignorance has made it hard for them to get opportunities to be treated like other human beings. Prince Wako foundation has from time to time joined the rest of the world in creating awareness on how we can take care of individuals with Down syndrome. We choose to embrace them and support them in their different gifts through a series of therapies and training so that they get to the level they wish to be. With this, we circulate information to dilute all kinds of stereotypes surrounding people with Down syndrome, most especially those in rural areas. 

We know that a child must be given the opportunity to develop fully. With the dangers of child labor all over the globe, Prince Wako Foundation has made efforts to educate poor children so that rigid employees do not take advantage of their situations to assign them into child labor. In all our projects and efforts, we condemn child labor of all kinds. We strongly retaliate our commitment towards a better future and a better world. Our efforts to make the world a better place at different layers of our societies will definitely solve many societal issues. These issues have a foundation in perpetuating gender discrimination. As we celebrate this year’s Women’s Day, we renew our efforts towards solving challenges that girls and women face in different spheres so that we can achieve gender equality.