Young Talk, June 2008

Not for SALE: Young Talk is FREE

Vol. 11 No.5 June 2008

•Know your rights •Stay in school •Delay sex

Sex education for primary schools

Girls and boys can do the same work

Have you ever stopped to think about the work boys and girls do in your home or village? Young Talk travelled to Mpigi district in central Uganda and talked to pupils of St. John Bosco Katende PS about work for boys and girls.

Nakato Martha

says:

"I am given a lot of work. Wasswa does little work. My father says boys do not do housework. He says boys do not enter the kitchen."

Joshua Wasswa says: "I do not know why Nakato is given more work. When I go to play, my father tells her to remain home and wash plates. He told me boys are not supposed to do work meant for girls. I can only help my sister to fetch water but cannot cook. I am told men are not supposed to be in the kitchen".

These stories show that there is more work for Nakato and less for Wasswa. It is common for girls to have more work than boys in many families. Henry Manyire, who teaches at Makerere University says; "this affects and reduces the time girls have to be children. They play less and may not go to school while boys have more time to be children". This is not good for girls. Boys! Help girls with housework. There is no work that was made only for girls or just for boys. Both can share out the same work equally.

sswa a W a u , P7, osh TWINS: J ha Nakato, 13 pigi t and Mar sco Katende PS M o St John B

! e z i r p a n Wi

Good things about sharing work

• Nobody is overworked. • Work becomes easy • Saves time • You all have enough time to read and play. • You learn to do different types of work like cooking, washing, looking after younger ones, digging and slashing. • You learn to work together as a team. This makes sisters and brothers good friends • You all feel loved • You will have respect for each other

rk ite down the wo •Discuss and wr home. Now write that girls do at at boys do. th down the work er hours? Boys ng lo s rk wo ho •W or girls? 366, Kampala, Send to Box 22 at you are stories about wh ur home to going to do in yo is shared make sure work boys and girls. n equally betwee ll help your wi is th w ho Tell us ST ANSWERS family. THE BE Talk T-SHIRTS. g WILL WIN Youn

YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7

2

Young Talk, June 2008

Sharing work brings happiness FACT

Boys and girls, when you share work equally, you are able to finish faster.This helps you to have time to play and revise books. Working together also helps you to build friendship and happiness.

We do the same work

"My sister and I do equal work. When we are reading, our mother does all the work. Kiryowa A, 12, St John Bosco Katende PS, Mpigi Both Kiryowa and his sister are happy since they do the same work and are treated equally. Does that happen in your home too? If not, think of how you can change things.

I work when I want "I am the only boy in my family. My sisters work as I read my books. I sweep the compound when I want". Sserunjogi R, 13, P7, Archbishop Kiwanuka Memorial, Mpigi

"We are proud to be girls. We believe we can do great things. When we say 'No' to something we mean No'". Gloria, Angie and Miria, St John Bosco Katende PS, Mpigi

Boys and girls, be assertive

Boys, just like Kiryo wa can do housework. , you There is nothing wrong wi th it. This view is supported by Manyire who teac Henry hes at Makerere University. He says: A 10year-old girl can sit and carry a baby. I think a boy too can sit and carry a ba by".

Assertiveness means speaking out strongly and clearly. It is believing that you have a right to have an opinion and feelings.

When you are assertive, you look into someone's eyes and tell him or her your opinion clearly. Do not be shy while speaking. Stand or sit upright. Assertivness means standing up to your beliefs and words. Sometimes you need to speak out your words and beliefs over and over. Remember that boys and girls need to be assertive and you have the ability to be assertive. Assertivess does not mean shouting, quarreling and abusing other people.

rk In Uganda men wo a day. s ur ho n te eight to men work But Ugandan wo orking W s. ur 12 to 18 ho d for longer hours is ba . th al he women's rk your Think about the wo rs do te sis , mother, aunt everyday. home Boys! girls in your th wi need help housework. usework Get involved in ho rk load wo e th ce du and re ful boy of girls. Be a help

Key Message Assertiveness helps you to take care of yourself and stay safe. It enables you to ask for help when you are in need.

• Boys too can do housework • Being a girl or boy is not determined by the work you do •Boys and girls can do the same work

Dear Teacher

• Encourage al l yo beyond P7 and ur pupils to look • Both boys an aim at good grades. d intelligent if gi girls are equally to participate ven equal opportunity • Show confid in class and outside. ence in your pu pils' abilities, especia motivate them lly girls. This will .

"My brother does not do any work because men are not supposed to do housework". Najjuuko B, 12, P6, Arch Bishop Kiwanuka Memorial, Mpigi What do you think about Sserunjogi's statement? What about Najjjuuko? Do you think she is happy? She has to do most of the work since her brother is not supposed to do housework. She gets very tired and has little time to play or read. This is not good. Avoid this and try to share work equally.

an elder Saying to her says I should Dictionary: Assertive:strong and sure or confident of oneself. Culture: the way of doing things by different groups of people. Intelligence: the power of learning, understanding and thinking. Opinion: Belief or judgement about something..

"My grandmot elder, I should never say No to an ir eyes. She the in not look direct pect and no says it shows dires says Najjuko. ", me rry ma ll one wi other is Najjuko's grandm t for people. ec teaching her resp n be ca u yo er, mb me Re assertive to respectful but be . stay safe

3 Young Talk, June 2008

Do something useful

What are you doing sitting around here

• It is good to help with house work • It is bad to throw rubbish around the compound. • Say sorry when you annoy someone

But I’m helping aunt cook

Chore: work Defend: To protect from harm Pest: an annoying person or thing Get rid of: become free of something annoying but here it can mean killing

The special Gift

he steps on a banana peel that was thrown down by Zingo. He falls down. Sarah runs to help her uncle to get up but he is very angry with Zingo. Sara defends Zingo because she is her friend. But the uncle, who is not friendly shouts at her. Sara’s uncle goes away unhappy.

Dictionary:

Welcome to part III of the “Sara the Special Gift.” In this part, Sara’s uncle comes home and finds her helping her aunt with work. He tells her to do something useful yet she was cooking. As he walks back,

Oh

AAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!

I’m sorry uncle.

Oh, oh, ouch

Oh no uncle! Zingo is very good. I’ve taught her many things since I found her.

Sorry? I’m going to get rid of that pest.

Give me that!

That’s just another example of how you waste your time doing useless things!

Chores! You don’t know the meaning of chores. You’re going to have a lot more soon.

But uncle, Zingo even helps me with my chores. YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7

4 Young Talk, June 2008 Is it true that when a girl plays sex in water she cannot become pregnant? Ahabwe D, 12, P6, Nyamiko PS, Bushenyi la pa m Ka 6 36 P.O. B0X 22 Dear Ahabwe, fertilisation takes place inside the body of a girl/woman. Being in water does not stop sperms from moving from the boy into a girl to .When I started my fertilize the egg. This is a lie. The menstrual periods I best way to protect yourself from experienced strong pains. I pregnancy and sexually transmitted asked for advice from my diseases is to delay sex. mother and she told me that having sex with a man could How long does it take stop the pain. Is this true? for one to get HIV KM, 14, P6, St Michaelfrom an infected Mukole PS, Kasese person if they had sex No. It is not true. Having sex does without a condom? not stop menstrual pains. Menstrual Muyambi J, 10, P6, Kiboga pains are normal. You can reduce Progressive PS, Kiboga them by taking painkillers (panadols) and exercising like running or playing Muyambi, do you know someone who had sex with an infected netball. person? It takes a very short time that is not easy to calculate. The What happens when a moment sexual fluids from both person uses an expired people mix, the virus can be passed condom? Z, P7, Apiding S, on from one person to another. But 14, Abota PS, Amuria It is very dangerous to use an expired HIV can take three or months for it to be seen in blood after testing. condom. It can burst or get torn Delay sex to avoid getting infected. during sexual intercourse. Then it is no longer protecting you. You can get infections and unwanted pregnancy. Avoid using an expired condom. Also, remember that at the age of 14 years, you are too young to have sex. Concentrate on your books for now.

DEAR Young TALK

''W alk,, it has taught us to delay sex ''Wee enjoy reading Young TTalk alk oung Young until we finish our studies'' St John Bosco Katende PS Y Talk Club members, Mpigi When I am bathing I see some mucus in my vagina. Is it normal? Feeza V, 13, P6, Summit view Army PS, Kampala Do not worry. That mucus is normal. It happens to every girl, when they reach adolescent stage. It can only become abnormal when it looks like spoilt milk, smelling and itching. This is when one will need to see a health worker.

Know your body

Dictionary s Hormones: Substance it and y bod the by produced helps it to grow rself Hygiene: Keeping you n in and where you stay clea es eas dis t ven pre to order t Ovum: a female egg tha if y bab a into ps develo fertilized t Painkillers: A drug tha reduces pain

When one sperm fertilizes the ovum, where do the rest go? Tushabe J Umea PS, Sembabule Sperms compete to get to the ovum. When one sperm fertilizes the ovum the rest spend some time in the body, die and come out. Adreen Kanyesigye Counselor/ Clubs Officer Officer,, STF

Hair under the armpit

Why do boys and girls grow hair under their armpits? Tumusiime M, 12, P4, Kyandago PS, Kanungu When you reach puberty, you will see many changes on your body. One of the changes is hair that will grow in your armpits and the private parts. The hair in your private parts is called pubic hair. Some people have a lot of pubic hair while others have little. Having hair under your armpit shows that you are growing normally. The skin under your armpit is soft so, this hair helps to keep the sweat away from skin. This keeps the skin healthy

Remembering

The Day of the African child

June 16 is the day of African child. This is the day when we remember the black children who were killed in Soweto, South Africa in 1976. These children were striking because government had failed to give them a good education. All African countries remember this day. It reminds the world that the rights of the African child need to be promoted. The theme this year is ‘Child

participation: Children to be seen and heard’. The celebrations were in

Luweero district. By writing to Young Talk, you are seen and your voice is heard. Continue writing in. Nassozi Faith, Uganda Child Rights NGO Network

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Dear teachers bution questionaires.

u distri In February we sent yo ble. m back as soon as possi the d will Please, fill and sen We o. als ers mb nu ephone Send us your mobile tel g un Yo enever we send out send you messages wh your t miss this chance. Play no g Talk publications. Do un Yo t Ge . ion rat ung gene role in protecting the yo k m Tal Talk, Teacher Talk and Far

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