Emmanuel Nigel: "NTC in Partnership with UNFPA Held a Capacity Building of Youth Leaders in Leadership, Advocacy and Budget Processes for SRHR."

By Emmanuel Nigel

Piemonte House

Date: Saturday, September 14th, 2024

Naguru Teenage Centre [NYC] is a Non-Governmental Organization [NGO] whose shared mission is championing adolescent health for Teenagers. Naguru Teenage Centre has greatly worked in the field of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights [ASRHR] for 30 years now offering health care services with enormous implementation of young friendly response model of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights services. Having been established in 1994, ASRHR services and information mainly target Young people between the age of 10-24 years old. The vision of Naguru Teenage Centre is "Young people empowered in their sexual reproductive health and Rights." The mission is "To promote access to equality, friendly, responsive sexual and Reproductive Health Services, Rights and information by adolescents and Young people."

It's worth knowing that Naguru Teenage Centre uses a right-based approach to programming, ensuring the promotion of choice, accessibility, equity, respect, and inclusive health care delivery, free from discrimination. Empowerment of young people especially vulnerable groups to exercise their sexual reproductive health rights to utilize Sexual Reproductive Health services, addressing structural barriers to access to Sexual Reproductive Health, and sensitization of the Stakeholders, Health Workers, Parents, Community Leaders, and General Public about young people's Reproductive Health rights and how to respect them.

Naguru Teenage Centre has a project that is supported by the United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] called SAY: SAY is "Strengthening Adolescents and Youth Empowerment and Rights Programme." With much attention to Sexual Reproductive Health Rights [SRHR] "NTC in Partnership with UNFPA Held a Capacity Building of Youth Leaders in Leadership, Advocacy and Budget Processes for SRHR." The Capacity Building that was conducted at Dove's Nest Hotel Gulu City from Monday, September 9th, 2024 to Friday, September 13th, 2024 went successfully with over 100 Non-Political Youth Leaders from Adjumani, Moyo, Obongi, Kitgum, and Lamwo. The purpose of the training was to build the capacity of Youth Leaders in leadership, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, and budget processes to enable them to meaningfully hold duty bearers accountable for SRHR/GBV service delivery issues for the young people in the 5 Districts. The objectives of the Capacity Building Training were to equip Youth Leaders with skills and knowledge on setting action plans and priorities in relation to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, to support and engage young people on accountability, and to discuss and understand governance structures and budget processes for Uganda. At the end of training, 100 Youth Leaders would be trained and empowered, and 5 Districts specific action plans would be developed.

The topics for the training day one [Monday, September 9th, 2024]: were a discussion of the situation of Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health - overview of Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health in Uganda/Westnile and Acoli, why Youth Leaders need to be interested in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, why focus on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and youth, the cost of inaction and why Youth Leaders need to act to address teenage pregnancy and other Sexual Reproductive Health issues. Challenges of Youth Leaders [Life Skills for leaders] - understanding self, negation, and decision making. Becoming a transformational leader - transformational leadership behaviours in the context of young people in Uganda, creating an inspiring vision of the future, motivating people to buy into and deliver the vision, managing the delivery of the vision, benefits of transformational leadership, limitations of transformational leadership, and daily education.

Day two [Tuesday, September 10th, 2024]: understanding advocacy - what is advocacy, why advocacy in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, deciding who to involve and determine a broad goal, identifying the decision maker, knowing your decision maker, and determining the ask. Key advocacy issues per district - identify advocacy issues [Group work], challenges and recommendations [Group work], development of advocacy plans, set benchmarks for success - implementation and monitoring, and daily evaluation. Day three [Wednesday, September 11th, 2024]: group work on the development of advocacy plans, presentations, and discussions. Understanding governance structures [Political and technical health], understanding social accountability, and daily evaluation. Day four [Thursday, September 12th, 2024]: budget processes in Uganda [Key times of influence], mental health, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, and daily education. Day five [Friday, September 13th, 2024]: development of action plans, development of action plans and presentations, post-training evaluation, closing remarks, and departure.

On Thursday, September 12th, 2024, Ms. Cinderella Anena a UNFPA staff highlighted the work of UNFPA "Delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted every childbirth is safe and every young Person's Potential is fulfilled." She emphasized and told the Youth Leaders during the training that we should report any clinics that are selling drugs for abortion because every pregnancy is wanted. She also urged the Youth Leaders to be Peer Educators and reminded the Participants that we need to advocate and say NO to early pregnancy. She continued that the game changer for everything is education.

During the closing remarks, Mr. Wilberforce Mugwonya a UNFPA staff from the Gulu office greeted and told the Youth Leaders "It's not easy to be a leader but it's good to be a leader." Prof. Okello James P'Okidi the District Community Development Officer Kitgum officially closed the Capacity Building Training at Dove's Nest Hotel Gulu urging the Youth Leaders to strive for the eradication of teenage pregnancy, increase in family planning access, increase in STD tests, pregnancy tests to be encouraged, Gender Based Violence should be stopped, utilize accurate information, Capacity Building should continue, livelihood components be looked upon, and cascade the information. He told the Participants to form groups and the work plan should be shared with the District.

We need to talk to the young ones to stay in school because over 80,000 learners in the Acoli Sub-Region fail to complete the Primary Education cycle just with Amuru District having 42,000 as published on Daily Monitor Friday, September 13th, 2024. We need to tell young girls to concentrate on education and to shun any form of pressure for sex because the consequences ruin their future. Teenage pregnancy is associated with risks for adverse delivery outcomes: stillbirth, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Being pregnant as a teenager puts you at a higher risk of having a baby born too early, with very low birth weight, and a higher risk of death.

Personally, I [Emmanuel Nigel] being one of the Participants in the Capacity Building Training of Youth Leaders in Leadership, Advocacy and Budget Processes for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights has been wondrous with remarkable Facilitators [Silas and Kevin]. I commit myself to talk against teenage pregnancy I'll take a stand to advocate for policies that prioritize the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights needs of young people, to raise awareness using my platform our Foundation [Piemonte House], and all means to spread knowledge on the consequences of teenage pregnancy, to collaborate and to work with Government, Civil Society Organizations [CSOs], and other Youth Groups to strengthen Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights interventions, and always to lead by example: showing commitment to addressing teenage pregnancy through community involvement and proactive initiatives.

It's indispensable for me to celebrate with Naguru Teenage Centre as they celebrate 30 years of dedication and service to the adolescents and young people in Uganda - the celebration is worthwhile. I'm gleeful to the Executive Director, founding members, and all the staff of Naguru Teenage Centre who have worked diligently in addressing the issue of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Uganda.

I thank Naguru Teenage Centre and the United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] for being in full support of the SAY Project and for the attention on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. I wish that the Holy Lord our God bless you in your service and give you more strength, love, courage, and peace as you offer yourselves to this vital initiative of the SAY until the end of the project in 2027.