“We provide condoms, pills, injectables, educate them on using moon beads. Or, those who have already given birth, we tell them [about] the usage of breastfeeding for family planning, and the initiative is highly in demand,” said Tumusiime. Indigenous contraceptive methods, like breastfeeding and periodic abstinence, have proven popular and are often more readily adopted.
Adolescents are the primary target, but Tumusiime said the project also engages other age groups—provided they turn up for the services when the team is in their area. “We don’t turn down any mother who comes for our services despite the fact that we focus on the adolescent youth with the strategic mission of curbing down teenage pregnancy that has been destructive to the educational lives of young girls in the region.” He added that their goal is to empower the community to feel the benefit of reproductive health knowledge. This lets them plan for their future children, rather than being stressed future parents who can’t provide for their children’s basic needs.
Benefits of Young People Accessing Contraceptives
Tumusiime also explained why it is important to make contraceptives accessible to the community as a whole.
For adolescents, contraceptive accessibility allows them to make informed decisions in marriage and avoid the pressures associated with pregnancy. It helps steer the overall community away from the burdens associated with low resources and dependency. For example, young girls who get pregnant may become a burden on their parents. Often, the girl then drops out of school, and the boy might be prosecuted—especially if the girl is below the age of 18. This perpetuates a stressed young generation.
Tumusiime also added that many young girls undergo unsafe abortion procedures due to limited knowledge of reproductive health, which can result in complications or even death. Therefore, the initiative is empowering young people on reproductive health as a whole.
According to Tumusiime, it is easier for the government to provide quality public services, like education and health, in communities where households practice family planning.
“So our people also need to know that access to contraceptives is very important because it [reduces] scramble for public services as well as [strain on] the environment,” Tumusiime added.
It is now five years since Gulu Light Outreach’s start. Despite resistance from some radical traditionalists and religious groups, the project has registered over 17,691 young people.