The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The newly crowned Queens representing the face of Gulu City have prioritized tackling the mental health crisis affecting the productivity of the youth in Northern Uganda. The night of December 20, 2024, ushered in three top finalists who competed in the beauty pageant at Bomah Hotel to represent the face of Gulu City, aiming to preserve its culture through marketing, tourism, and creativity.
Melissa Atim Bridget, aged 21, a Senior Six leaver from Gulu District, was crowned the overall winner, while Apiyo Eunice Aber, a clinician from Gulu College of Health Science, was named the first runner-up, and Veronica Abalo Tracy, aged 19, a Senior Four leaver from Nwoya District, took the position of second runner-up.
In an interview with Uganda Radio Network on Tuesday, the overall winner, Miss Atim, noted that while the region presents vast opportunities for production, many youths are less productive as they battle mental health challenges. She highlighted that her tenure would focus on engaging the youth to harness their potentials through agriculture and tourism.
“It isn’t about the crown, it’s about what the crown will do, and we chose to fight mental health challenges by engaging the youth in agriculture,” Miss Atim told Uganda Radio Network. Her counterpart, Miss Veronica Abalo Tracy, emphasized that without addressing the mental health needs in the region, the productivity levels among the youth in Northern Uganda would remain low.
Reflecting on her own experiences, Miss Abalo acknowledged the challenges she faced growing up with a single mother, a situation that many children in Northern Uganda endure. “I think I would be this lousy girl on the streets if I didn’t trust in God, and I knew that if I messed up in life, I would have two losses, one for me and one for my mother. I don’t know, maybe I will see my father, maybe I won’t, and we have children growing up in my condition,” Miss Abalo recalls.
The Queen of the West Nile Region, Miss Patricia Alobo Janet, attributed the mental health challenges in the region to rising cases of gender-based violence, compounded by economic hardship and unemployment.
Miss Alobo highlighted that the violence at home has exposed children to the vulnerability of depression and mental disorders as they struggle to cope with life. “What is even surprising us in West Nile is the rate at which children are committing suicide. It’s a challenge that must concern us all, but the family must take responsibility for their existence,” Miss Alobo urges. Nelson Okeny, the Founder of Role Model Foundation Organization, a youth-led community-based organization working with the youth to harness their potentials in Northern Uganda, has, however, asked the newly crowned Queens to focus attention on community issues.
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