Young Talk, July 2008

Not for SALE: Young Talk is FREE

Vol. 11 No.7 July 2008

Sex education for primary schools

Defilement

•Know your rights •Stay in school •Delay sex

“

I was a lone at home. That day i had lunch outside the house. after lunch i took the plates back inside the house. suddenly the son of our landlord followed me inside. he held me, pushed me down and defiled me. i was so scared i could not scream. i felt a lot of pain. i felt so bad. now i am seven months pregnant. When my parents came back, i told them what happened to me. They went to the police and the boy was arrested. My mother was annoyed with me. she said i should go and stay with the man who made me pregnant. a friend advised her to bring me to Mirembe house where i am staying as i wait to give birth. The man who defiled me was released. i wonder whether i will ever go back to school,” Girl 13 years.

SAFETY ON YOUR WAY TO SCHOOL: Walk in groups or with friends

What happened to this girl is called defilement. It is a sad story.  defilement is when a man or boy has sex with a girl below 18 years. it does not matter whether it is forced or not.  Be careful, anyone can defile you. it can even be someone you know and trust like your doctor, teacher, babysitter or even your parent!  Boys, defilement is a serious crime. You can go to prison for it.

Just like this story teaches us, defilement can lead to: •early pregnancy •dropping out of school •hiV/sTd infection

Mirembe house is a home where children who get pregnant are kept. It is located in Old Kampala. If you need their help, call Vivian Kityo

0755064580

SAFETY AT SCHOOL: If a teacher asks you to take books to his house, go with a friend

Scream loudly for all to hear you

It is te tenn years ung Talk ofWeYo are changing your

newspaper to make it more fun. in your club, discuss what you would like to change in Young Talk. Write and tell us what would you want to change.

best letters

win prizes!

Stay safe

SAFETY AT HOME: Ask your parents to invite someone you trust to stay with you while they are away

•Ask grown ups not to send you at night. •Learn to sense danger. •Adults mean well but some including relatives may defile you •Avoid visiting boys when you are alone

SAFETY ON YOUR WAY FROM SCHOOL: Avoid free lifts

Young Talk is for Teachers and pupils in p5, p6 and p7

2

Young Talk, July 2008

You CAN AVoID gETTINg DEFILED

.......................................................................................................................................................................................... But if you are defiled, it is not your fault. You should not keep quiet. Get help as soon as possible. ..........................................................................................................................................................................................

If you are attacked by a defiler:

From infront

Dig your fingers hard into his eyes

Make fists and hit him on each side of his head or on his ears

Lift your knee and push it as hard and fast as you can into his testicles (balls)

Boys too get abused

If you are defiled

did you know that some boys get defiled? it is called sexual abuse. it happens in many schools and homes. Boys do not let anyone ask you for sex. avoid people who want to touch your private parts because that is part of defiling you. always report such acts to someone you trust. remember to visit the health centre immediately

• Try to identify the person who defiled you, if it is a stranger. remember the clothes he was putting on and any other things you may notice. • Tell your parents/guardian immediately. • get treatment immediately • do not bathe or change clothes in which you were defiled. They will be evidence in court • report to the police immediately • When you are called to court, go and tell your story. S. Magomu, Counselor Hope after Rape

I feel bad. That big girl at school touched my penis, I will tell the teacher.

Step hard on his foot with your heel. Reach back with your hand

Treat defiled children well • encourage them to come back to school • show them that you care for them • do not abuse them • encourage them to join your play groups. “do not laugh at girls who have been defiled.” Nyombi D, green Valley PS, Wakiso

Protection from HIV & pregnancy There is hope that you can protect yourself from HIV if you are defiled. But you have to act fast. doctors have found new treatment to help girls who are defiled not to get hiV and pregnancy. The person who defiled you might have hiV. You need to immediately go to a health centre for help. At the health centre: •You will be tested for hiV. • if you are negative, you will be given arVs (medicine given to people with hiV), that you will swallow for

From behind

If you are attacked, try to find ways of freeing yourself from the defiler. Shout as much as you can. Someone may hear and help you. Below are other ways in which you can fight a defiler.

30 days. arVs stop the virus from entering your white blood cells and multiplying. • arVs only work: •If you were HIV negative before the defilement

•If you get the treat-ment

before three days pass. After the three days, the drugs will not help you. •You will also be given medicine to protect you from getting pregnant. Rebecca Nabbosa, Counselor, Naguru Teenage Centre

A counselor talks to a girl at Naguru Teenage centre

Young Talk is for Teachers and pupils in p5, p6 and p7

Where you can get help: •all the big hospitals in your district •naguru Teenage centre, kampala •Mildmay centre, Wakiso district •paedriatic infectious disease control (pidc) Mulago hospital, kampala

Step hard on his foot with your heel. Reach back with your hand, grab his testicles and squeeze them hard

For teachers • You can identify children who have been abused like those who isolate themselves. • Try to talk to children who look lonely and too quiet. They could have been abused. • listen to them patiently and counsel them. help them lift up their self esteem. Tell them it is not their fault. Nakijoba Ruth, Pearls Elementary School, Kampala

Coping after defilement! • nobody asks to be defiled. it may happen to anyone. so do not blame yourself. •Talk to someone you trust. if you are a girl, it is better to talk to a woman. it helps you to feel better •get some-one to keep counseling you till you feel better. at every lc level, the woman councillor can help abused children or go to a youth centre. •avoid thinking about it, occupy yourself with games, work and books

3 Young Talk, July 2008

The story continues....

Sara is in her P7 vacation. This time we see her being given more chores by her uncle. She is already overworked and wonders whether she will be able to do all the chores when she joins secondary school.

THE SPECIAL GIFT Sara returnS to her mother’S kitchen. her brother tSumi anS SiSter maria are there

She is however informed that she will not be joining secondary school. Her dream seems to be coming to an end. But she does not give up. Read on and learn more from Sara.

how am i going to do all my homework in secondary school?

uncle wants me to do even more chores!

girls. Do not overwork house do o als n Boys ca chores

You better tell her now.

Both girls and to boys have a right education do You need time to house d an rk wo school chores You can say no toadult wrong things an may tell you.

tell me what?

Sara i’m sorry to tell you that you won’t be going to secondary school...

Dictionary

Afford: To be able Chores: Work Vacation: Holiday

Wnat? Why not?

but mama...

We haven’t received any money from your father for a long time. Your uncle has been paying but now he says that he can only afford to keep one of you in school.

Sara, do you think i want this? if only we could afford...

and of course that is your brother.

Secondary school is even more expensive. tsumi is a boy and you are a girl.

but i love school so much! i want to be... What defference does it make if i am a girl?

but i’m sure father wants me to go to secondary school.

it shouldn’t make any difference at all... but yur uncle is the head of the family while your father is away. i know i do also... but until we have the money...

...we have to depend on your uncle.

So come and eat, tomorrow we will start making new plans for you.

Young Talk iS foR TeacHeRS and PuPilS in P5, P6 and P7

4 Young Talk, July 2008 Who spreads HIV most between men and women? Margaret, 14, P5, Ssanje PS, Rakai Margaret, both men and women equally spread HIV. But women can get HIV more easily because many of them depend on men for the things they need in life. This makes it hard for them to say no to sex. Sometimes they are forced into sex. Women need to work hard to do things for themsleves so that they can say a firm NO to men. Most women cannot tell the men to use condoms for protection. Such also leads women to greater risk of getting HIV.

Dear Young TaLKpala

P.O. B0X 22366 Kam My friend lives with her mother, who brings men home. These men ask my friend for sex. How can I help her? Nankwasa S, Kyandago PS, Kanungu Advise your friend to tell her mother how she feels. If the mother does not stop these men, she can ask a relative or any other person she trusts to talk to her. It must be a person whose advice her mother can take. But let your friend continue saying NO! to those men. I have friends who are not interested in learning. They abuse teachers and fellow pupils. How can I avoid them? EK, 14, P7, Yumbe PS EK, you may have to slowly stop moving with them. Find other friends and something else to do whenever they want you. Be polite. Do not worry even if they say or do negative things to you. Why do pupils from town and private schools perform better than us in village schools yet we have the same syllabus and

I had sex with my sister when she was seven years and I was nine. Am I still a virgin? OB, P7, Barr PS, Lira No, you are no longer a virgin. Virginity is lost when one has sex. But by now you may have found out that it is a terrible thing to have sex with your sister. It is called incest. It is against the law and our culture! Abstain from sex to prevent HIV and early pregnancy.

"We love reading Young Talk." Pupils of Mayuge PS teachers trained from the same colleges? Sometimes we even feed on better meals than those in Boarding schools. Kyomuhendo R, 14, P7, Marumbu PS, Kyenjojo Kyomuhendo, some pupils in villages perform better than those in town. They are serious in reading and discuss with fellow pupils. They also revise at home. Do you do the same? Many children in the village lack paraffin for lighting so that they can read. Some parents and guardians in the village give

alot of work to children, especially girls. Ask your parents for more reading time if they do this to you. Give them examples of children who do well because their parents give them enough reading time. Long distances in some villages may affect pupils' Little Stars PS, Kampala is the performance. But, if you Young Talk star school for July. Pupils in are committed, you can this school sent 20 letters to Young Talk. wake up early for school All the pupils who wrote letters win Young Talk rulers. You can also make your and plan your time well. school a star school by writing to You will pass like other Young Talk! pupils in town and private schools.

StarSchool!

Young Talker of the month

Do something to help other children

"Young Talk has taught us to stay safe and stay in school" Pupils of Bitare PS in kisoro

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I can help by encouraging parents to take their children for immunisation. I can also help take my young brothers and sisters. I would also talk to parents to take their children for HIV testing. HIV positive children should be given treatment so they do not fall ill. lutwama geoffrey, 13, P6, Bukulula Mixed PS

thank you lutwama for your advice. You win a Young talk SChOOl Bag, a rUlEr and a StiCkEr Young talkers, SEND in your lEttErS and DraWiNgS with gOOD aDViCE.

iNgS BESt DraW

WiN PrizES

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