A 16-year-old girl named Juliet Katusiime, who is a mother, has been accepted into Kworo High School along with her one-year-old baby. This move is unusual and has garnered attention from both the school and the education sector.
Katusiime shared her story, explaining that she faced mistreatment at her maternal grandmother’s home after her mother abandoned her. This difficult situation left her vulnerable to manipulation, leading to her eloping with a man who later denied responsibility for her pregnancy.
During her pregnancy and after giving birth, Katusiime received support from a few family members, allowing her to continue her education.
The school’s administration revealed that they have more than 15 adolescent mothers attending classes with their babies. These young mothers have separate sleeping arrangements, and the school provides childcare services while they are in class.
Katusiime aspires to become a nurse and is grateful for the opportunity to attend a boarding school with her baby, as the school provides a babysitter for her child. However, she faces financial challenges due to her father’s inability to support her, the baby, and her sister, who also attends the same school.
The Nwoya district education officer expressed their support for the school’s initiative, stating that it has been instrumental in addressing the issue of teen mothers in the district. Dr. Joseph Muvawala, the vice chairperson of the Education Policy Review Commission, commended the school’s efforts to empower these young girls and suggested that such schools receive support from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
