CELEBRATING THE YOUNGER WOMAN
Crown The Woman-South Sudan (CREW) joined the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s Day through her mentorship program in schools. Since Women’s Day is only a one day affair 8th March, CREW decided to extend the celebration to one week so as to spend more time with their younger sisters in three different schools through a mentorship program under the them “I AM MY SISTER’S KEEPER”. Teenage pregnancy was the key topic
To give the students and pupils a clearer understanding of the matter, CREW brought in Mr. Busulwa Gabriel Walta; a Ugandan social change film maker who is also an advocate against child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Mr. Busulwa screened his 18minute film “AKELLO”. Akello is about teenage pregnancy; in the movie, a schoolgirl is introduced to an older man by her friend, out of peer pressure she accepts financial gains from the older man in exchange for her body. she later gets pregnant and is sent away from home by her mother. left with no option, she goes to live with the man responsible for her pregnancy. while staying with him she undergoes domestic violence and eventually runs to her maternal uncle who takes her in and gives her a second chance to go back to school a few months after she gives birth and later reconciled her with her mother.
with this movie, Mr. Busulwa was able to reach out to 288 girls in only 3 schools (two secondary schools and one primary school) during his 5days stay in Juba due to the fact that he arrived in Juba on Monday and Friday of that same week was a public holiday (National Prayer Day). He also had the chance to go to two radio stations (Miraya and Radio One FM) alongside two CREW team members to share the impact of his film in the schools that he visited. Screening the film gave a fresh twist to our usual mentorship sessions that are characterized by conversations between CREW and the students/pupils.
Watching the girls get so emotional during the film was quite a moment for all of us. After watching the film, the girls had a rich discussion with Mr. Busulwa and the CREW team where some girls shared similar personal experiences at the end of which they made a commitment to stay in school as their bold decision for change. CREW has pledged to screen this film every school she conducts her mentorship in.
Apart from Mr. Busulwa, Dr. Ayak Chol Deng was also present at the program, she too shared her experiences with the girls and encouraged them to stay in school as school is the only insurance a woman can have. Dr. Ayak promised to come back and share tips on menstrual hygiene with girls.
As the CREW Team we cannot possibly express our gratitude enough to Mr. Busulwa for taking time out to chat with our girls and share his insightful film with them.
As usual, the fight goes on here at CREW, we continue to pledge to be “OUR SISTERS’ KEEPERS”
- Published in Events, Womens Day
BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL AFTER TEN YEARS OF MARRIAGE
“Do you first want to get married then go to school?”- Rachael
Rachael Akuach Lazarus is woman of the month at CREW (Crown The Woman). She is the true definition of this year’s Women’s Day theme “be bold for change” from her courageous decision to go back to high school after ten years of marriage.
We met Rachael at Promised Land Secondary School where CREW (Crown The Woman) was conducting a Mentorship Program. During one of our mentorship sessions, that focused on abstinence and school before marriage, Rachael sat quietly and patiently listening till the end of the program then she stood up to narrate her story. Rachael is 30 years old and has an 8 year old daughter. She has been married for close to 10 years and will be marking her 10 year marriage anniversary 3 months from now. She grew up in a Refugee Camp in Kakuma in Kenya and like many other young South Sudanese girls, she had no choice but to succumb to early marriage due to circumstances beyond her control. Life in the Refugee Camp was characterised by circumstances that include inter alia poverty, death of parents or guardians and little or no guidance and support. Nothing was left but marriage for her.
Years later, when she saw her old friends with whom she was in primary school live prosperous independent lives with university degrees and good jobs; while the only title she held was “Mom and Housewife”; she made a decision to go back to school to make something of herself as well as be a source of inspiration not only to her daughter but also for young girls all over. Although Rachael confirms that she is happily married and that her husband is supportive, she doesn’t feel fulfilled because she craves an education and a career.
She decided to resume school in 2016 and is now in Senior Two. Rachael continues to encourage the other girls to remain focused and finish school instead of rushing into marriage. she is determined to push through to University in-spite of all the challenges that she is facing such as limited scholastics like reading materials.
Rachael’s story describes the situation so many young South Sudanese girls are in. Majority are robbed of the opportunity to go to school by being forced into marriage at an early age which puts an end to their chances of independence and creates a dependency syndrome; a disease that’s eating into the economy of the youngest nation.
Crown The Woman-South Sudan continues to call upon all partners to play their roles by ensuring that girls are given the chance and the encouragement to pursue an education. We also plead that those who are married or become mothers at an early age, be given a second chance to go back to school. It’s never too late to fulfil your dream
- Published in Events, Inspiration