Girls Not Brides

Give Us Wings is always looking for ways to participate in initiatives that expand educational opportunities for girls in eastern Uganda. Our recent collaboration with Girls Not Brides, a global partnership to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy, is one such effort.

In October, our Education Program Manager, Grace Alweny, attended the first-ever Girls Not Brides meeting in Tororo. She then helped plan two major events in Tororo and Kampala at the end of November – a community fun run and the Eastern Regional Girls Summit – aligned with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, which kicks off the 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence.

Grace was selected as Chairperson of the planning committee. Under her leadership, Give Us Wings provided medical services to 31 people at the fun run and hosted two educational forums for 73 adults and children in the community on ending child marriage. Grace was also interviewed on a radio talk show that reached over 20,000 listeners with the same message.  Students from our Family to Family program also participated in the Girls Summit—speaking, performing poems, and joining peers in skits and dances to raise awareness.

Real change requires expanding access to schooling, encouraging re-entry programs for girls who dropped out before, strengthening family livelihoods, and empowering communities to challenge harmful traditions. As an organization, one of our foundational principles is centered around Gender Equity: "Throughout our work, we seek to break down barriers for women and girls, empowering them in their education and business goals.”  We are honored to partner with Girls Not Brides and all the community leaders working to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Uganda.