The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has achieved significant success with its Girls Empowering Girls (GEG) program, which has supported 3,000 girls to date.
GEG is the first urban social protection program for adolescent girls in Uganda. It aims to ensure that girls transition safely into adulthood, gain essential skills, and are empowered to achieve their goals.
The program focuses on empowering both in-school and out-of-school girls through a rigorous selection process that includes registration, approval, and enrollment.
Girls are selected from parishes with higher school dropout rates and homes experiencing multidimensional poverty. Since 2019, the program has empowered two cohorts of girls.
A recent three-day workshop, held from July 24 to 26, 2024, at the Imperial Resort Beach in Entebbe, provided an opportunity to reflect on the program’s achievements and lessons learned since its inception.
Notably, in 2023, 74 girls who had previously dropped out of school returned to their studies, with 60 sitting for their Primary Leaving Examinations and 14 sitting for their Uganda Certificate of Education exams.
During the workshop, Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura called for increased support from stakeholders to empower more girls in society.
She emphasized that, “Empowering girls should be the joy of everyone because many have been tortured, kidnapped, and raped, which has shattered their dreams.”
Jacqueline Nassaka, the Monitoring and Evaluation officer from Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL), highlighted the effectiveness of mentorship and skills development in empowering adolescent girls. She noted that before the program’s implementation, many girls dropped out of school due to a lack of funds and various vulnerabilities.
However, cash transfers have proven to be a game changer, helping girls to overcome fear, improve financial stability, and set achievable goals.
The program supports girls with scholastic materials, cash transfers, mentoring, and skill development in areas such as baking, digital literacy, life skills, and problem-solving through group initiatives.
Nassaka stated, “This is remarkable progress that underscores the impact of targeted interventions in supporting vulnerable girls in attaining their goals.”
The workshop was attended by Daniel Kaserengenyi, Deputy Director of Gender Community Services and Production, and Dr. David Musunga, Deputy Director of Marketing and Production. Kaserengenyi thanked UNICEF for their support and congratulated the team on their efforts toward gender integration. He assured partners that KCCA remains committed to continuing this vital work, particularly in highly vulnerable communities in Kampala.
The Girls Empowering Girls Program is implemented by the government of Uganda under KCCA, with support from UNICEF and the Belgian government. It aligns with the smart city agenda, specifically the third pillar focused on people’s well-being through health and education.
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