Inspire Uganda Project

The Uganda National Students’ Association (UNSA) is dedicated to addressing a pressing and concerning issue that affects the future of our nation’s youth: teenage pregnancy and early marriages. According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics UBOS (2018), almost a quarter (one in four or 25%) of Ugandan women has given birth by the age of 18. In addition, 34% of girls in Uganda are married before their 18th birthday and a 7% are married before the age of 15. 6% of boys are married before their 18th birthday.

Uganda has the 14th highest absolute number of women married or in a union before the age of 18 in the world – 723,000. Customary marriages or informal marriages, where a girl lives with an older man, are significantly more common than registered civil or religious marriages. In addition, 10.6% of currently married 15-19 years old girls are married to men who have two or more wives. A World Bank/ICRW study estimated that ending child marriage in Uganda would generate USD 14.48 million in earnings for Ugandan women who married early. (source: Girls not brides).

We recognize that these issues not only disrupt the education and aspirations of young students but also have far-reaching consequences for the social fabric and development of our communities. In response to this challenge, UNSA has embarked on the “Inspire Uganda Project.” The mission of the Inspire Uganda Project is clear and resolute: to halt teenage pregnancy and early marriages through the power of inspiration and the dissemination of vital information. UNSA believes that by empowering young students with knowledge and motivation, we can steer them away from the pitfalls of teenage pregnancy and early marriages, enabling them to pursue their dreams and build a brighter future.

The project’s focus areas include addressing the twin issues of teenage pregnancy and early marriages, which have emerged as formidable barriers to the educational and personal growth of our youth. Through a comprehensive strategy, UNSA intends to intervene in key regions of Uganda, targeting schools in Gulu (Northern Uganda), Mbale (Eastern Uganda), Bushenyi (Western Uganda), and Mityana (Central Uganda). Through the Inspire Uganda Project, we aim to empower our youth to make a promise to themselvesand realize their dreams.