Meet Esther Lakica #GirlsEducation
February 5, 2015As part of African Revival’s #GirlsEducation month, we are introducing you to some of the amazing girls we are supporting this year in Northern Uganda. Today, we meet Esther Lakica, a 16 year old student in Class P7 at Bwobomanam Primary School.
Bwobomanam primary school is one of the beneficiary schools of our Girls’ Access to Education Project and is also on our Model Schools Programme. We have worked with Bwobomanam for nearly 6 years, and have met some fantastic students there in that time.
When we first met Esther, she was a very shy and timid girl. However, our interaction with Esther over the years has seen her come out of her shell and gain self-confidence and assertiveness. When the African Revival M&E team visited Esther recently, she said:
“The knowledge I gained has helped me to avoid peer influence, I can say no to bad suggestions from friends. The pads have helped me a lot because when I have my periods, I now have something to use so I can stay in school.”
“I had a friend who would lure me to go to the disco, with the knowledge from the workshop I am now more confident to say no. I have applied the same knowledge to advances from boys. All of us can choose whether to make the right or wrong decisions.”
“I had a friend liked sleeping around as a solution to her problems. Also her mother wanted her to get married to help solve their financial issues and she was very stressed and frustrated. I advised her to speak with the senior woman teacher.”
Sadly, there are many girls like Esther’s friends in rural schools in the region who have never had the opportunity to be mentored, or acquire information that is vital in helping them make informed decisions. With your help, we can reach more girls and ensure that they are able to get the best education possible.
