Centre to skill teenage mothers opened in Nebbi Municipality

NEBBI– Bishop of Nebbi Anglican Diocese, Rt. Rev. Pons Awinjo Ozele on Friday commissioned a centre to empower teenage mothers in Nebbi Municipality with practical skills that they can use to create their own jobs or get employed.

Dubbed New Generation Healing and Empowerment Centre for Teenage Mothers, the centre is funded by the Keystone Community Church of Michigan USA to skill young mothers.

And while commissioning the skills centre, Rt. Rev. Ozele said teenage mothers need economic empowerment if they are to get out of the trauma they suffered during the Covid-19 lockdown.

He added that many young girls whose future was ruined during the covid-19 lockdown are unable to get back on their feet because they come from poor families.

The bishop said the unfortunate girls can be empowered by skilling them so that they can create their own jobs and live better lives.

He appealed to government to allocate more funds that can help to uplift needy teenage mothers across the country.

He added: “Mistakes shouldn’t define the future of our teenage mothers. Everyone must get committed to ending teenage pregnancies and help in empowering teenage mothers through sustainable economic empowerment programmes.”

Bishop Ozele said he was committed to working hand in hand with other stakeholders give teenage mothers hope that they can succeed despite the mistakes they made earlier in their lives.

Dr. Betty Udongo P’cutho, the Managing director of the centre who is also the former proprietor of Nebbi Standard College, said, the centre has the capacity to equip over 50 teenage mothers, despite having financial challenges.

“We design short courses like;  hair plaiting and dressing, sandal making, tailoring, reusable pads making and catering, all geared at giving skills to our girls,” Udongo said, adding teenage mothers will be able to create their own jobs after training.

She added that teenage mothers who got pregnant before they attained primary seven would be enrolled under the programme-accelerated study to allow them to complete such that they join secondary education.

Topista Pikwo,19, a total orphan and one of the beneficiaries of the empowerment centre said she got pregnant aged 16.

Pikwo who is doing a short course in hairdressing said she is now able to buy her baby items like soap, milk, and food and pay medical bills of her child.

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