By Benjamin Mbusa
Super Mothers Uganda a nonprofit making foundation has launched the fashion and design project to benefit young mothers and women at Kahendero fish landing site in Muhokya town Council in Kasese District.
According to Asiimwe Kamuhanda, the foundation’s Coordinator, they have launched the project to train young mothers and women on the showers of Lake George in tailoring and fashion design.
Kamuhanda says that to ensure sustainability of the project, the beneficiaries would be linked to other big companies and foundations across the country for job opportunities.
He says that their assessment has found that this community program has an immediate impact adding that the project will help to economically empower these teenage mothers and women and eradicate poverty at the fish landing site.
“The project will also improve the income of young mothers and women so that they are able to provide for their children” Kamuhanda adds.
He says that with the high levels of teenage pregnancies on the lake showers across the district, school dropping out is on the rise and teenage mothers have increased and if this challenge is not addressed, the children of the teenage mothers are most likely to become teenage mothers too in future.
He adds that teenage mothers face social economic hardship inclusive of stigma, family neglect, unemployment/lack of livelihood, illiteracy, among others and all these issues affect the wellbeing of both mother and the child.
He further says that in addition to social economic challenges, teenage mothers also face sexual and reproductive health challenges like gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, pregnancy related issues like abortions and complications at child birth of which some have long term health effects.
While officiating at the official launch of the project, Muzamiru Bisanga, the District Councilor representing Lake Katwe Sub-county encouraged women and young mothers to embrace the idea of acquiring vocational skills as one of the ways through which they can fight against poverty from their families.
Bisanga asked the mothers to be focused and determined until they realize their vision of forming their group. He also called for cooperative and love among the members for the development of the foundation and sustainability of the project.
Mr. Abdulla Ssengoba, the area Councilor to Muhokya Town Council, explained that the community in Kahendero depends on fishing as their major economic activity which is mostly carried out by men, appealing to the women to take the established skills center in the areas as an opportunity for them to earn a living and support their families.
He however appealed to them to respect their husbands as they start earning money from the group’s activities.
