As February began, students across Uganda were preparing to return to school, backpacks packed, uniforms mended, dreams for a new term shining bright. I found myself thinking about one young woman whose story continues to stay with me.
Her name is Naava Jamila.
Jamila was once a schoolgirl with big dreams until she became pregnant while still in school.
For many girls in Uganda, that moment marks the end. The whispers begin. The stigma grows. Friends distance themselves. Teachers don’t always know how to respond. And quietly, the dream of education fades. In one of our podcasts, Jamila shared how deeply she was affected by shame, isolation, and judgment. She speaks honestly about feeling like her life had taken a permanent detour.
But her story did not end there. She gave birth. She persevered. She returned to school. Today, Jamila is a lawyer.
When I listen to her story, I am reminded why our work matters so much. Because behind every statistic about teenage pregnancy is a real girl. A real dream. A real future that can either be interrupted or supported, this is the reality for over 24% of girls in Uganda.
In that same podcast conversation, we were honoured to host Madam Rosette Nanyanzi from the Ministry of Education and Sports, who spoke about the Revised Guidelines on Prevention and Management of Teenage Pregnancy in School Settings.
These guidelines were developed to ensure that pregnant girls and adolescent mothers are not permanently pushed out of school but supported to complete their education. They also guide schools on how to prevent and better manage teenage pregnancy within learning environments.
This is progress. But policies alone are not enough:
- Girls need information.
- They need access to sexual and reproductive health services and accurate information.
- They need supportive communities to end this cycle.
- They need leaders who say, “Your education is not over.”
That is why, at Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU), we believe education should never end because of circumstances. Every young person deserves the chance to learn, grow, and shape their future. Our work sits at the crossroads of education and sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and through our Back to School campaign, we continue working at the intersection of education and sexual and reproductive health (SRH).
We provide:
- Accurate information about sexual and reproductive health
- Access to contraception and HIV prevention service
- Menstrual health education and supplies
- Safe spaces for dialogue and mental health support
Because when a young person is informed and supported, returning to school becomes possible. Jamila’s story is powerful not because she became a lawyer. It is powerful because someone believed she still deserved a chance. This month, I invite you to be that someone for another young person. Your support does more than fund programs. It keeps classroom doors open. It restores dignity. It tells a girl who feels ashamed and alone that her dream is still valid.
This back-to-school season, we invite you to support young people in Uganda, ensuring that school remains a place of possibility, not a lost opportunity.
SOURCE: by Humphrey Nabimanya. 18 February 2026. Reach a Hand Uganda. PHOTO: Reach a Hand Uganda