Menstruation, Sexual, And Reproductive Health Program Awareness

Changemaker: Wasswa Sserugo Allan

Country of implementation: Uganda

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) remains a critical yet under-served aspect of adolescent well-being in Uganda, particularly in Arua city of the West Nile sub-region. Despite global and national commitments to SRH rights, young people in this region face systemic barriers to information, services, and dignity, especially regarding menstruation and contraception. Arua city exemplifies the SRH disparities prevalent in rural Uganda. The region has one of the country’s highest adolescent pregnancy rates, with 25% of girls aged 15–19 already being mothers or pregnant.

To contribute to change of this problem, Allan and a group of his friends decided to start up a project titled: Menstruation, Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Program aimed at creating awareness through education by teaching young people reusable pad-making and comprehensive SRH information, increasing access to SRH services through installing condom dispensers in communities such as trading centres which brings more young people together and ensuring advocacy for SHR through collaborations with local leaders, local health facilities, and like-minded groups to institutionalize youth-friendly SRH services and policies.

This project was implemented between October 2024 to December 2024 after receiving a grant to implement this project (As per grant guidelines, that was the timeline but the project is still ongoing in its sustainability phase). The project is still running but needs more sustainability support through making our activities more formal by registerinrg a CBO. We were able to reachout to different schools and held training sessions about SHR, installed condom dispensers in communities to ensure provision of youth friendly services. The projec impacted over 2000 people and it is still impacting lives.

For more information visit: https://x.com/waswaserugoalan?t=WPQta4MI-x3IpqrocosJGg&s=09