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Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda has partnered with Busoga kingdom to rollout cycling races geared towards ending teenage pregnancies in Busoga sub region.
Cycling is one of the biggest crowd pulling sports in Busoga sub region, second to only football and this activity is geared towards rallying masses of largely men and boys to appreciate their key role in ending teenage pregnancies.
The country’s teenage pregnancy rates stand at 25% however, Busoga sub region is rated at 34%, which has overtime triggered several kingdom led initiatives to tame the trend.
MTN’s head of sponsorships and partnerships, John Paul Okwi says that sporting activities are instrumental in causing mindset change among millions of fans across the world and it is prudent to ride on such activities to end teenage pregnancies.
Okwi says that, their cycling races will inspire largely school going children to appreciate the need of staying in school and avoidance of indulgence in premature sex. He notes that, the cycling that races will be rolled out across the 11 chiefdoms of Busoga kingdom will sensitizing youthful populations to safeguard girls against teenage pregnancies.
The kingdom’s youth minister, James Mukembo says that most young people are driven with several distractions, which frustrates their ability to heed advice from elders and so sports activities are the best avenues of reaching out to them in large numbers.
Mukembo says that these cycling races held in the different chiefdoms will involve peer educator groups geared towards empowering the youths with soft skills in abstaining from early sex.
Mukembo further notes that inspiration talks and counseling tents shall be gazetted at the sidelines of the cycling routes, where experts in the spheres of health and mindset change shall be on standby to closely engage youths on the negative effects of teenage pregnancies, coupled with the viable means of leading fruitful lives.
The kingdom’s second deputy premier, Osman Noor, who delivered the Kyabazinga’s message said they have already rolled out the spreading of cultural values geared towards the safeguarding of girls from teenage pregnancies, namely rallying parents to prioritize time for their children, and skilling the children to handle domestic chores.
Osman says that, those seemingly ancient values are fundamental in preserving girls from laxity, to reduces the risks of engaging in early sex, which causes early pregnancy.
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