Bonga was created to challenge the perception that girls are an economic burden and teach the girls ways to combat the negative consequences of poverty and oppressive cultural practices. Basic literacy and numeracy skills, life and occupational skills are imparted unto these girls through a 9 months period empowering them to be responsible citizens and making a contribution towards the development of their communities.

Empower a girl and she will change the world

Adolescent girls continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups in Buganda Region. In rural areas, there’s still much need to sensitize communities to see the girl child as valuable and important.

Sadly, many are ending up married off young for wealth. They do not participate in family and community decision making, even on issues related to their own lives. The schools in rural areas leave much to be desired in terms of hygiene and convenience for girls in puberty.

The Bonga Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Program seeks to address the challenges faced by the adolescent girl. The plight of the adolescent girls in Buganda Region is very startling.

Implementation

The Bonga Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Program is will be implemented in Greater Mpigi area of Uganda where so many girls have not had a chance to start or finish their education.

Over will be 1,500 adolescent girls have been economically and socially empowered through an informal nine months learning program for a period between 2019 and 2023. They have been able to utilize the skills to gain employment and even set up their own enterprises.

They are taken through a series of different vocational skills training. The range of skills in which they will receive training, include crafts making, weaving, bakery, hairdressing and tailoring.

We will set up Bonga fora (Follow Up Centres) for continuous experience sharing and advocacy on issues affecting the girl child, children and women.

“Some of these girls in communities like Mpigi are married off young and because of not being able to study have very low self esteem. But Bonga has changed the story for many of them. They are more confident and know that contributing to the welfare of their family and community is their right.”

Acquaintance with Bonga Girls

Act Now-students, Tuva and Marie from Norway shared their experience in Uganda with  the management of CBSFM. They talked about their background and why they are having an internship in Uganda, and the projects they are working on in CBS-Pewosa. “We have worked a lot with the Bonga project

which we find very interesting and effective. The girls are in the same age group as we are, but they live completely a different lifestyle than we have in our country. Many do not get to finish school because their parents can not afford to pay school fees, or some girls get pregnant or married at an early age and  drop out of school. Youths in Uganda do not have the same opportunities we have in Norway, so we are glad to see that the Bonga project is here and its helping to improve the lives of  girls and their communities”. Tuva and Marie said.