“We are more focused on young mothers due to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy during Covid-19 lockdown which left over 24,000 victims of circumstance,” Denis Ekii, President of Rotaract Club Lira.
Lira—17, December 2021: The Rotary Club of Lira, together with the Rotaract Club Lira have encouraged teenage girls who got pregnant not to shy away from going for routine medical check-ups.
This call was made on Wednesday, December 15 at Lira Regional Referral Hospital while giving out some basic items to teenage mothers.
Items given out to 50 pregnant girls below 24 years of age were mama kits, gloves, basins and [bar] soaps.
Jennifer Epido, the in-charge of the teenage maternity ward, applauded the Rotary and Rotaract clubs for the initiative.
She says this has lifted a “very big burden” from them because most of these girls are too needy to afford such items.
“Some of these young girls, the men who made them pregnant, have even abandoned them, others are chased away from their families and when you ask them during routine checkups for requirements, you get tears for an answer,” Epido said.
She repeated most of the teenage girls end up shedding tears during checkups when asked to produce mama kits and gloves simply because they cannot afford to purchase them.
Jimmy Otim is the President of Rotary Club Lira. He applauded Rotary and Rotaract for the packages he said will aid in saving the lives of newborn babies.
He added that some of the activities that the club does are drilling boreholes, empowering women in their various SACCOs, cancer runs and supporting needy schools.
“We also have cancer run, which happens globally to solicit fund for constructing cancer institute based in Kampala as we plan to extend and construct a cancer unit in Lira too.”
Denis Ekii, President of Rotaract Club Lira, reiterates that the project is to improve maternal health and newborn survival among vulnerable teenagers and adult expectant mothers.
According to him, for now, they are still more focused on young mothers. “We aim to help save the lives of newborns in various capacities.”
“We are more focused on young mothers due to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy during Covid-19 lockdown, which left over 24,000 victims of circumstance,” Ekii noted.
Juliet Alum from Angwetagwet, Lira City East Division, and one of the teenage mothers who received the support applauded both clubs so much for helping them at the time they needed it most.
“I had totally given up, I had nowhere I was going to get these items from, and I feel so happy and relieved now,” she gave a vote of thanks.
Vicky Apio, a beneficiary from Ngetta, showed her gratitude towards Rotary. “I was so worried about the future of my baby with nothing in my hands, now I can confidently wait for my due date.”
The Rotaract Club of Lira is a community-based club sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lira.
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