Changing Attitudes and Changing Fortunes in Uganda

Early this year Carol Akello used a modest grant from Fulcrum Aid to establish a micro-enterprise project designed to empower teenage girls with alternatives to forced marriage. She called the project “Angatanyo” which is the local word for lioness. Four teenage girls commenced training in business skills that would enable them to become financially self-sufficient – which is all it takes to avoid being forced into an early marriage.

Within a few months community leaders from Amuria approached Carol asking if she would accept other girls who were at risk of forced marriages, and even some who had already been forced into marriages. Despite her resources being stretched to the limit Carol has accepted an additional eight girls. 

Three of Carol’s young lionesses had been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army, the notorious militia led by Joseph Kony which is responsible for the abduction of tens of thousands of child soldiers and the displacement of over 2 million people in north Uganda.

Other girls face various forms of stigma, discrimination and social isolation.

Carol welcomes them and is determined to give them the skills that will enable them to determine their own futures.

Currently the program has three volunteers teaching tailoring, and two others teaching baking and handcrafts. Sewing school uniforms is expected to create the greatest financial returns but also requires greater capital investment and longer time to develop skills. Baking and handcrafts are already generating financial returns for the program.

Recently Davis Kawooya was able to visit the Angatunyo Girls Project and report on the progress made so far. Davis is a Ugandan living in Perth and undertaking his PhD in International Relations. He has given a very affirming report on the project and has brought recommendations on how we can support its expansion. These include providing equipment to make yoghurt which is highly sought after locally, providing Carol with a computer and modem, and eventually purchasing land to avoid the high cost of rent.

Davis writes "The Angatunyo Girls Project is a community based programme aimed at empowering young and vulnerable girls in the District of Amuria north east of Uganda. The area is one of those badly affected by the effects of the two decade conflict led by the Lords Resistance Amy (LRA). As a result of the conflict, the poverty situation is alarming whereby in order for families to earn an income, they force young girls into early marriages so that the parents can benefit through bride price "

Although the program is still in the formative stages, Carol has demonstrated her capacity as a social entrepreneur, and has initiated a shift in community attitudes towards the practice of forcing orphaned teenage girls to marry.