Young Talk, October 2008

Young Talk, October 2008

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Not for SALE:

Young Talk is FREE Sex Education for primary schools • Know your rights • Stay in school • Delay sex

Vol. 10 No.10

Managing Change Safely “In boarding school, my life is better. In a day school boys used to disturb me as I walked to school. Some used to touch my breasts. In boarding school I have more time to my books.” Nakafeero Maria, Wobulenzi Parents’ School, Luwero In life, there is always change. Maria left a day school to join a boarding school. That is change. Change could also include:  Promotion to another class  Joining secondary school  Stopping to go to school  Joining another school  Moving from village to town or town to the village  Your parents dying I was in a school for only girls. I went to S1 in a school where there are boys. This was a big change. I feared boys. They teased me. I wanted to stop schooling. But my friends encouraged me. I also reported to the teacher and he talked to the boys. They stopped teasing me. I can now read my books. Young Talkers, if you have any problems talk to someone about them. Nalumansi Sharon, S1, Luwero SS.

When change comes, copy the good things from it and avoid the bad ones  Growing from a child to a youth  Going for P7 Vac.  Moving from a camp to a home What other changes do you know? How do you feel about those changes? Some changes can make you feel happy and others can make you sad. Some changes can make you learn useful things. Others can try to teach you bad manners. You can also learn some good manners from change.

Nakafeero

Maria Wobulenzi Parents’ Sch oo

l, Luwero

u from ange to stop yo Do not allow ch udies or behaving st finishing your s, talk to t any problem well. If you ge them. t someone abou

Stand for what is good for your body, education and your future

Star letter I would want Young Talk to have more cartoons and few words with stories of long ago. Winners should be sent on trips so that many can write. Ayo Gloria, Banuhule PS, Kampala

It is

ten
years of

Young Talk

We are changing your newspaper to make it more fun. In your club, discuss what you would like to change or add in

Young Talk. Write to Young Talk P.O.Box 22366 Kampala.

BEST LETTERS

As change happens, you may find new people who want you to do wrong things like going for discos or having sex. YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7

Be strong: say NO to what they are telling you. Remember the good things your parents, teachers and religious leaders taught you.

Young Talk, October 2008

Going through change

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Change can come with many new and different things: freedom, new dressing styles, new friends. BUT change may also come with problems or bad news. You have to stay strong. The way you behave when change comes is what will help you stay safe and achieve your goals.

Freedom

Growing up

No more books! I have finished my PLE. I have all the freedom. Bibanda here I come!! You might be feeling this way after P7 exams or after a school term! Wait a minute!

Every person grows through the different stages. Slowly, you develop breasts, for a boy your voice deepens. You feel good. This change does not mean to disobey or abuse your parents and teachers. Stay calm. Learn about your changing body. Have good friends.

Uh Uh!! I am 13 and

I feel very good!!!

Think about what might come because of this freedom. Be responsible for your

ugh Go thro ly. Be fe a s e chang hat with w s happy ay lw A ve. you ha king at o lo p kee to u want what yo re and tu be in fu r it. work fo

Be careful about boys or girls who would want to have sex with you. Speak out clearly that you do not want sex.

Sad change One Sunday we returned home from church. We left our mother singing. Dad asked us where mum was and we told him she was still at church. When she returned they fought and dad chased her away. We are now with a stepmother. I used to get new clothes, but not any more. JT, ST Kizito Namugonde PS, Wakiso Your change may come with bad news like losing a parent/relative. This can be painful. It is okay to grieve. You may cry if you feel like. But you should also remember that you are not alone.

Life after primary school I fear I may not get fees for secondary school. In my P7 vacation I plan to go to a tailoring school and even if I do not make it I can survive. Nakibuuka Catherine, 14, Luwero Boys PS Luwero. Yes! This is good decision Catherine.

life even when there is no one seeing you. Put your time to good use. Find something useful to do.

You may not be able to continue to secondary after primary education. This would be bad. But you need to continue with your dreams. Join a vocational training. Learn skills that can help you earn a living.

New dressing styles

ld not You shouge take allow chan lues away your va

Many children in Uganda do not have parents. They live with guardians or alone. When this change happens to you, be strong. Talk to someone. This will help you feel better. Remember, you have a life to live. Accept your situation and look into the future.

Fellow teachers talk to pupils about change. Teach them the challenges and solutions to these challenges. Ask pupils to talk about the changes they are experiencing. Encourage them to be assertive. Help them know that they always have a choice and the choices they make determine the future. Ms Joy Namayanja, Teacher, Wobulenzi Parents’ school

Your dreams is what you would want to be in future. When change comes, remember what you want be in future. Does what you want to do help you get your goals?

I can have fun without disturbing other people and getting HIV

does not enter someone’s body through sharing True HIV food, bathing or moving and playing with an infected person. You can only get HIV through sex, an infected mother to her baby, sharing sharp objects like razor blades and wounds if they get in touch with infected person’s fluids. Do not hate or run away from your friends if they have HIV. Make friends with children who have HIV and play with them.

Young Talk, October 2008

The story continues......

Key messages

As the school term ends, Ms Matata l introduces holiday projects to the class. The projects are in a book she shows l class. Sara is interested in the book, but other children are not. She borrows the book from Ms. Matata and gets a useful l idea for a holiday project.

THE SPECIAL GIFT

Project- Useful activity

THE LAST CLASS FOR THIS TERM IS NEARLY OVER

It is important to pay attention to teachers. Vocational skills (practical skills) are very useful to you and your community. Do not go with the crowd. Choose what is best for you. AND HERE IS AN IMPROVED GRAIN STORAGE BIN....

LOOK AT THIS NEW BOOK I JUST RECIEVED. IT HAS ALOT OF IDEAS.... HERE IS A PUMP BEFORE WE CLOSE FOR THE YEAR, I WANT TO SHO YOU SOME NEW PROJECTS YOU CAN DO DURING THE HOLIDAYS....

HOW DOES IT WORK? WHAT MAKES IT BETTER?

PLEASE, MAY I LOOK AT THAT BOOK, MS MATATA?

ZINGO ! LOOK AT THIS

OF COURSE SARA, YOU CAN STAY AS LONG AS YOU LIKE

THAT ONE IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS. SARA....MAY BE YOU COULD ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO HELP

CAN I BORROW THE BOOK SO ICAN STUDY THE DESIGN AND COPYT ?

COME ON SARA DONT WAIT FOR ME.... LET’S MEET TOMORROW

MS MATATA, DO YOU THINK I COULD MAKE THIS ?

IT’S A SPECIAL STOVE THAT BURNS LESS THAN HALF OF THE FIRE WOOD. AND IT’S ALMOST SMOKELESS...

OF COURSE, BRING IT BACK TOMORROW AND I’LL HELP IF THERE’S ANYTHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND

I’LL ASK JUMA AND AMINA TO HELP ME.

OH, MS MATATA, THANK YOU !

MAMA ! GRANDMA ! I’VE GOT A GREAT IDEA

OKAY, OKAY IT’S TIME TO GO, ANYONE WHO WANTS TO STUDY THIS BOOK CAN STAY FOR A WHILE AND COPY THE DESIGNS. THAT ALL FOR THIS TERM. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EXAM RESULTS

OHOEEE ! MISS QUEEN OF QUESTIONS HAS STARTED AGAIN ! WE’LL BE HERE FOR THE WHOLE HOLIDAYS !

I WANT TO MAKE A NEW STOVE FOR UNCLE !

SARA RUNS HOME TO TELL HER MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER ABOUT THE STOVE

AND IS ALMOST SOKELESS ! IT BURNS MUCH LESS FIREWOOD !

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



Young Talk, October 2008

Last month when I was in my periods, I experienced pain in my private parts. When I shared with my grandmother, she advised me to have sex. I am still a virgin. Is this the best thing to do? Christine, Bunyangire PS, Bundibugyo

Young TALK

P.O.Box 22366 Kampala

Dear Christine Your grandmother’s advice is misleading. Keep your virginity! Many girls get pains during menstruation. Sex is not the cure; instead you could end up pregnant or getting infected with HIV/AIDS. You can take a pain killer like panadol to ease the pain. If it is too much go to health center for advice.

Kaliro Church of Uganda Young Talk club We thank Straight Talk for Caring about us.

What makes a baby of seven months get erections? HB Ambrose, Revival Day and Boarding PS, Kampala Dear HB, Babies erect due to change in temperature. After covering them for a whole night and you uncover them in the morning, the coldness causes their penises to erect. It means that blood is flowing into the walls of the penis. Erections in babies mean they are healthy and normal. If a baby boy does not get erections the parents should take him to a doctor.

I am 14. I had sex with three boys the same day, now I am pregnant and worried. Who is the father of my baby? MM, Yumbe PS Sex with three boys on the same day! Are they your boyfriends? Did they force you? MM, you must be going through a difficult time. Any of those three boys can be the father. But you cannot know until the baby is born. Doctors can check the baby’s and the boys’ blood. This can help them know who the father is. But this test can only be done in Kampala and it costs a lot of money. Good luck.

Win a Book Write and tell us when you said NO to sex. Tell us the full story. Best 10 stories win story books. Write to Young Talk P.O.Box 22366 Kampala.

If I have sex in the night, HIV/AIDS will not attack me because they say that HIV/AIDS is asleep in the night. Is this true? Pieta Paul, 14 , Acumet PS, Amuria

My friend told me she want to run away from home. She says her mother is forcing her to get married. How can I help my her? Christine, 13, P5, Bugolo Junior PS, Kampala If you were Christine, what would you do for your friend? Write the advice to Young Talk P. O. Box 22366 Kampala and get a gift.

Moses, Why do you want a big penis? Do not believe what your friends say. At your age you are still experiencing body changes. Your penis will grow bigger just like the rest of your body. Having sex may lead you to get HIV/ STDs. You can also make a girl pregnant. Are you ready to be a father? Stay safe by not having sex. Counsellor Magomu Stella

No it is wrong. HIV does not sleep like us. It is active in the blood and sexual fluids all the time. If you have unprotected sex with an infected person at night, you will also get the virus. Stay safe by not having sex.

Nora and and Caroline of Kama PS say Young Talk has helped them to keep in School, Mbale.

My penis is small and my friends told me that if I have sex my penis will

What I have learnt in Young Talk

Know Your Body

I learnt that children with disability also have rights. Nabaasa N, 13, P5, ST Noah PS, Kampala I have learnt to encourage parents to immunise their children to avoid some disabilities. Asiimwe Midresi 13, P5, Kyondo PS, Bundibudgyo All the 221 Young Talkers who have written in win PRIZES. We will send them to you.

Get a gift from Young Talk

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grow bigger, could this be true? Buda Moses, 12, Megiri PS, Kajo Kiji County Sudan

Get a piece of paper and a pen. Write down what you have learnt in this newspaper. All letters win prizes. Send your answers to Young Talk P.O. Box 22366 Kampala and WIN pads, books, pens and rulers Publisher STRAIGHT

One of the changes boys go through is the production of semen. Semen is a white liquid that comes out of the penis. Boys sometimes release semen while they are asleep. This is called a wet dream. Do not get worried it is very normal. It happens only when you are sleeping. Some boys feel ashamed. This is okay to feel ashamed, but it is for most adolescents.

TALK FOUNDATION

4 Acacia Avenue, Kololo, P. O. Box 22366, Kampala, Tel: (031) 262030/1, Fax: 534858, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], Executive Director: C. Watson; Communications Director: T. Agutu, Editorial Manager: E. Kimuli, Editors: G. Awekofua, M. Akello, D. Agaba, J. Abongowath, Chief Designer: M. Kalanzi, Designer: GB. Mukasa, Allan B. Dentine Printer: The New Vision. Young Talk is funded by DANIDA, DFiD & SIDA.