Dear Child Forum Partners,
As the National Forum on the State of the Uganda Child approaches on October 27th and 28th, we are delighted to offer this social media toolkit to assist you in promoting the National Action Plan and the objectives of the Uganda Child Forum in your organizations and communities. This toolkit encourages using the various resources, social media posts, infograms, and videos to promote the aims of the National Action Plan and hopefully will further the momentum of the Forum.
Thank you for your hard work as we join together to ensure the Uganda’s children have access to the education, knowledge, and skills to become the future leaders of the Uganda.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Roberta Rossi
Supervisory Development and Outreach Communications Officer
USAID Uganda
US Mission Compound, Plot 1577, Gaba Road, Kampala
Office: (256) 41-306001 ext.6549
Cell: (256) 0772-138519
Email:
Betty Kagoro
Development and Outreach Communications Officer
USAID Uganda
US Mission Compound, Plot 1577, Gaba Road, Kampala
Office: (256) 41-306001
Email:
Messaging for the National Forum on the State of the Uganda Child
When we put education first, we can reduce poverty and hunger, end wasted potential and look forward to stronger and better societies for all. -Ban Ki Moon, United Nations Secretary General
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." - Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa
"It's the greatest poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." -Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic nun
BACKGROUND
The Government of Uganda has ambitious goals for the future as outlined in its Vision 2040, which anticipates “a transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country.” The 2015 National Development Plan aspires to “propel the country to middle income status in the next five years through prioritizing investment in five key growth drivers with the greatest multiplier effect.” Given Uganda’s progress in recent decades, these are not unrealistic goals. They are, however, deeply reliant on an emerging generation of young people that can successfully contribute to a productive society. Simultaneously, the youth population is growing by leaps and bounds. But will they be prepared to lead the nation as envisioned?
Evidence collected in recent years points to a potential crisis. The Situation Analysis of Children in Uganda (UNICEF, 2015) states that “despite sustained and substantial reductions in the proportion of Ugandans living below the poverty line over the past two decades, and not withstanding significant progress in improving the lives of children, 55% of children under the age of five years are deprived of two or more of their rights.” These children lack basic health, education and protection standards that will propel them, and their country, to success.
It's not too late to improve the well-being of Ugandan children. Working together to implement a clear course of action, government officials, community-based organizations, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, teachers, parents and other key stakeholders can make a difference to ensure that all children are raised in healthy environments and provided access to quality learning opportunities.
This Call to Action is inspired by that potential. As the global community reflects upon the Millennium Development Goals and transitions to the Sustainable Development Goals, there’s a renewed opportunity for countries, and Uganda in particular, to ensure prosperity for all—especially the 17.1 million Ugandan children who will inherit the future.
PROMOTING CHILD RIGHTS
In Uganda, 22% of children (4.4 million) live in income-poor households. Uganda has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with 46% of girls married before age 18 (UNFPA 2012), surpassing the child marriage rates of Somalia, Zambia and Ethiopia. Provisional results from the 2014 population census data show that about half of the Ugandan population of 34.9 million comprises children under the age of 15 years; while 17.1 million children (more than 56%) are aged under 18 (UBOS, 2014a).
More than 55% (3.7 million) of Uganda’s under-five children, as well as 38% of 6-to-17 year-olds live in poverty, which contributes to malnutrition, disease, and the lack of clean water. Uganda’s current systems cannot keep up with its population growth rate of 3.2%. Previous gains in child well-being are fast losing ground. Lower-income countries with population growth rates of six children per mother will not progress to lower middle-income countries. Uganda’s current birth rate stands at 6.9 children per mother.
Children need to survive long enough to enter school and remain healthy enough to learn and contribute productively to society. High under-five mortality, consistent high levels of malnutrition and stunting and rising HIV prevalence in adolescents, all create a growing burden on health systems. This, coupled with child vulnerability due to orphan-hood, violence, early marriage, pregnancy, disability, conflict, child labor, and lack of education, among other reasons, creates an unsustainable environment for child well-being and development.
Once in school, children must be protected as well. Nearly 75% of Ugandan children report being physically abused at school. Nearly 78% of children said they were sexually abused at school. The National Action Plan pledges to reduce gender-based violence in schools by 80%.
PROMOTING GIRLS EDUCATION
Today there are 850 million girls in the world. If you want to change the world, invest in a girl. If she stays in school, remains healthy, and gains real skills, she will marry later, have fewer and healthier children and earn an income she will invest back into her family – breaking the cycle of poverty. Uganda’s girls should be engaged in society, they should have the opportunity for friendships and mentoring so they can participate in the decision-making and be prepared to lead. Girls should have access to education opportunities, and health information and services. Girls should be protected from sexual and other physical and emotional abuse.
The National Action Plan
The National Action Plan is a new effort by the Ugandan Government, and USAID, to put into action the resources necessary to improve the quality of life of the Ugandan Child. The effort supports the child’s right to education, the right to survival, the right to safety and the right to contribute to society.
There are a variety of tools to help you during and after the National Forum on the State of the Uganda Child. Consider utilizing the following videos, fact sheets, photos, infograms and social media messages in your communications.
● Girl Effect Time is Ticking Video www.girleffect.org/media?id=3
● Girl Effect https://www.youtube.com/user/girleffect
● UNICEF Uganda Situation Analysis of Children Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-BH2l-f4GQ
● Child Forum Fact Sheet
● http://www.ugandachildactionplan.org/ (Includes additional resources)
Suggested Social Media Notes for the National Forum on the State of the Ugandan Child
Today is the National Forum on the State of the Ugandan Child! Join us to promote better health and education for children in Uganda #ChildForumUG #MunyonyoDeclaration@usmissionuganda
Too many Ugandan children are living in poverty. Read the report, the silent majority: Child Poverty in Uganda http://goo.gl/htAzv@usmissionuganda
Today at the #ChildForumUG you can learn more about the life of a child in Uganda. #ChildForumUG #MunyonyoDeclaration@usmissionuganda
Check out the great #ChildForumUG video@usmissionuganda #MunyonyoDeclaration
If a #girl stays in school & remains healthy; she gains skills, has healthier kids & earns a better income#ChildForum #LetGirlsLearn
An extra year of primary school boosts #girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%. Extra year of secondary school: 15-25% #ChildForumUG #LetGirlsLearn
40 million school-age kids aren’t enrolled in primary school b/c of conflict. @USAID helps #ChildForumUG #LetGirlsLearn@WhiteHouse
A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5. #ChildForumUG @GirlUp#LetGirlsLearn
#Girls drop out of school due to#ChildMarriage #SchoolFees #Violence. #ChildForumUG #LetGirlsLearn
Find your role in the National Action Plan by committing to encourage #education and #childrights. #ChildForumUG #MunyonyoDeclaration
Amazing Op-ed by U.S. Mission Kampala Chargé d'Affaires: http://goo.gl/Ul3f5E #ChildForumUG @usmissionuganda
Thank you for participating in the #ChildForumUG through [fill in the blank, i.e., RTI, UNICEF, World Vision]
Far too many #UgandanChildren are far too vulnerable. Join the call for immediate action today. #ChildForumUG
Uganda pledges coordinated approach to improve child well-being. Add your voice to this national movement. #ChildForumUG
Outlook for #UgandaChildren very bleak, but #MunyonyoDeclaration offers National Action Plan to improve child well-being. #ChildForumUG
All #Uganda must demonstrate will to improve state of Ugandan child. We must do better, together. #ChildForumUG
Join the national movement to help #UgandanChildren, support the National Plan of Action. #MunyonyoDeclaration
Violence, poverty, hunger, disease à problems no #UgandanChildren should ever face again. Support the #MunyonyoDeclaration
Invest in education for #UgandanChildren now to reach upper middle income category by 2032 and attain 2040 #Uganda Vision goals
Raise your voice. Get engaged. Affirm your commitment. Lead the movement! #childforumUG#UgandanChildren
Suggested Facebook Posts:
Use one of these quotes alongside a photo of a Uganda child.
If you want to change the world, invest in an adolescent girl. An adolescent girl stands at the doorway of adulthood. If she stays in school, remains healthy, and gains real skills, she will marry later, have healthier children and earn an income she will invest back into her family.
“The best judge of whether or not a country is going to develop is how it treats its women. If it’s educating girls, if women have equals rights, that country is going to move forward. But if women are oppressed and abused and illiterate, then they’re going to fall behind.” – President Barack Obama
Investing in children is the best business decision Uganda’s leaders could ever make. Providing children with education, health care, nutrition, and social protection will create a stronger, healthier, wealthier, more prosperous Uganda. A small investment in children today will pay enormous dividends for the country tomorrow.
Uganda’s National Forum on the State of the Ugandan Child is the beginning of a national movement to improve the well-being of boys and girls in education, health, and child protection. It is a movement that needs the leadership of all Ugandans and their partners. Are you dedicated to improving the future of the Ugandan child?
The average Ugandan child is far too vulnerable – to disease, poverty, hunger, violence, and abuse. We owe it to Uganda’s children to do better, now. Join the movement and support Uganda’s National Action Plan to create a holistic, coordinated approach to have a positive impact on the well-being of Uganda’s boys and girls.
7