football and family planning
enlightment for young people
In 2018, Aktion Regen started a training cycle for 16 potential Rain Workers: One of the volunteer gynecologists from Aktion Rain led a beginner in January 2018 and an advanced workshop in November 2018. A total of 14 Rain Workers have been certified, who are supported in part by Aktion Regen and in part by partner organizations such as Helping Hands Family, VVCM, Bbanga Project, or Bruder und Schwester in Not.
Three of our ambitious Rain Workers have come up with a very special strategy to make family planning, sexual and reproductive health accessible to many people. From December 25 to 31, 2018, they organized the first football tournament in Busia, in which 30 national clubs competed against each other. The event was a huge success with almost 4,000 visitors.
The Rain Workers mainly use this event to educate them about female genital mutilation. In Uganda, less than 10% of girls and women are affected by FC/FGM (Female Cutting / Female Genital Mutilation). Although the state has prohibited mutilation since 2010 and has been imprisoned for up to 10 years, this practice is still practiced in some ethnic groups.
With the football tournament we made history and we can do more than this!
As part of the football tournament, our Rain Workers distributed condoms, talked to young people in particular about WHY family planning, protection against HIV / AIDS, distributed self-designed flyers, and handed the first three football clubs T‑shirts with the words “Aktion Regen — Knowledge as a chance!”. Because this campaign was so successful, our Rain Workers organize annually football tournaments!
In his monthly Rain Worker Report, Sam Bbosa reported the following: “In Uganda, many people still believe that circumcision and genital mutilation are means of preventing HIV/AIDS.
We want to convey that everyone has the right to sexual and reproductive health, and we especially wanted to empower girls and women. You must have the right to decide when, if and how many children you want to have.
Above all, we want to empower young people to renounce mass circumcision based on religious or traditional ideas. My special focus is to intervene early. We can still shape children and adolescents, while adults are often too firm in their behavior. ”
mortality:
FC/FGM is a blood business of defenseless infants and children worldwide
