Danish Government launches UGX 55 billion empowerment and rights program in Uganda

By Umar Weswala

Danish Ambassador Signe (L) with
UNFPA Country Representative Gift Malunga (R)

The Danish government has launched a new program in Uganda targeting the adolescents and youth in refugee settlements and refugee host communities in Acholi and West Nile Sub Regions. The two Sub Regions are grappling with alarming Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) indicators, adversely impacting the education, health, and development prospects of young girls.

The program dubbed Strengthening Adolescents and Youth (SAY) Empowerment and Rights was unveiled yesterday during an agreement signing ceremony between the Danish Government and UNFPA at the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Kampala.

Ambassador Signe Winding Albjerg signed on behalf of the Danish government and Ms. Gift Malunga, the Country Representative signed on behalf of UNFPA.

It is a four-year initiative set to run from January 2024 to December 2027 with a budget allocation of USD 14,500,000 (about UGX 55,000,000,000).

UNFPA's Gift Malunga (R) looks on as
Ambassador Signe (L) signs the agreement

The program will be implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with CARE International in Uganda (CARE), Marie Stopes Uganda (MSUG), and Naguru Teenage Information and Health Centre (NTIHC); and in close cooperation with District Local Governments (DLGs), the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development (MoGLSD), the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and the National Population Council (NPC).

According to a joint Press Release issued by the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Uganda and UNFPA Uganda Office, the program aims to enhance access to and utilization of services and information on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) among young people aged 10-24 in three refugee hosting and two refugee-affected districts of Adjumani, Obongi, Lamwo, Moyo and Kitgum.

In her remarks during the agreement signing ceremony, Ambassador Signe said that the SAY Program draws inspiration from the success and insights garnered from the Women, Adolescents and Youth (WAY) Program, a collaborative effort, funded by the Danish government and implemented by UNFPA with its partners from 2018 to 2023.

Ambassador Signe (L) looks on as
UNFPA Rep. Gift Malunga signs the agreement

“We are all concerned with the demographic and health reports that comes out from Uganda these days showing stagnating progress towards addressing some of the big challenges for young girls in this country” the Ambassador noted.

Uganda's demographic landscape is characterized by a predominantly youthful population, with about 70% under the age of 25. Within this demographic situation, adolescents and youth, especially out-of-school girls, find challenges in accessing SRHR information and services. This vulnerability places them at heightened risk for challenges such as teenage pregnancy (24%), child marriage, HIV infections and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Nowhere is this more pronounced than in Northern Uganda.

“We believe that with the joint efforts of UNFPA, the civil society partners and the government partners, we will be able to jointly bring the services all the way to the young people in Northern Uganda cities and rural areas to ensure that no one is left behind” Ambassador Signe said.

She commended the efforts of the Ugandan government, pointing out the ministries of health, education and gender for their role in promoting youth friendly SRHR services.

In her remarks about the new partnership program with the Danish Government, the UNFPA Country Representative Gift Malunga said that the SAY program marks a pivotal moment in the journey towards empowering adolescents and youth.

Ambassador Signe (C) with the UNFPA Rep. on her left
with some of the implementing partners, UNFPA staff
and Embassy staff. On the Extreme Right is the
UNFPA Deputy Country Rep. Dan Alemu

“This agreement that we have signed today signifies not just the partnership but a commitment to a cause greater than ourselves” Malunga stated.

She said the program focuses on adolescents and youth because it is a critical population facing a number of challenges in trying to access SRHR information and services.

“We are aware that adolescent girls, more importantly are dropping out of school because of unintended pregnancies. Currently, adolescent pregnancy has remained stagnant at 24%.

We are also aware that when we have high adolescent pregnancies, it means unprotected sex, it means increased risk of STIs, it also means the risk of acquiring HIV.

All these are a multitude of problems that adolescents are facing including early and forced marriages” Ms. Malunga noted.

She gave thumbs up to the Danish government saying that UNFPA has enjoyed a strong partnership over the years with the Danish people and government both here in Uganda and globally.

“Denmark has been the greatest supporter to UNFPA’s mandate and that is why we have managed to achieve what we have done so far” she said.

According to Ambassador Signe and UNFPA’s Gift Malunga, the SAY program is in line with Denmark’s Country Strategic Framework for Uganda (2023-2027) and the UNFPA 9th Country Program (2021-2025).

The SAY program is not the first, nor is it the last of its kind in Uganda.

The Royal Danish Embassy and UNFPA have implemented transformative interventions with and for people of Uganda for more than three decades now.

This new program is therefore an indication that both agencies remain committed to the socio-economic and human development of Uganda’s youthful population, through strategic and inclusive support in areas of education, health, climate change, agriculture, private sector development and trade, and good governance.