Let Her Shine: 43 young mothers graduate after skilling by AGECS and Aga Khan Foundation

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Forty-three adolescent mothers from Kampala and Mukono have been equipped with practical vocational skills, reproductive health knowledge, and entrepreneurial acumen under the Let Her Shine empowerment program. The initiative, part of the Advancing Gender Equality through Civil Society (AGECS) project, aims to empower vulnerable groups—particularly young girls—with the tools they need to transform their lives.

Funded by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), the AGECS project addresses gender inequality from multiple angles and is being implemented across five African countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. It seeks to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations to advance gender equality in their communities.

In Uganda, AGECS is implemented by three local partners: Public Health Ambassadors Uganda (PHAU) in Kampala and Mukono, Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) in Luweero and Mityana, and SEFORD in Arua. Uganda faces alarming adolescent motherhood rates, with statistics showing that one in four girls becomes a mother before the age of 18. Many of these young mothers face stigma and lack pathways to re-enter education or the workforce.

Against this backdrop, Let Her Shine is being hailed as a beacon of hope. Speaking during the graduation ceremony for the program’s second cohort, Damalie Namaguru, Country Project Coordinator for AGECS, highlighted the program’s impact: “Today, we celebrate the journey of young women, gatekeepers, and community champions who’ve completed skills training in tailoring and hairdressing,” she said.

“We’ve heard testimonies of how this training has not only changed individual lives but also impacted families and entire communities,” Namaguru explained that the AGECS initiative in Uganda has three core projects, namely Let Her Shine by PHAU, the WAVE project by FOWODE, and the SWEET project by SEFORD.

Though the current phase of the program is coming to an end, Namaguru expressed optimism for its future. “We’re in the end-line survey phase, assessing outcomes and identifying lessons for potential expansion. But what’s clear is that the impact won’t stop here. Because we worked through strong national NGOs and empowered local structures, we’re confident this momentum will continue.”

To ensure sustainability, the program has also trained community gatekeepers and male champions—local male leaders—who play active roles in promoting gender equality, preventing gender-based violence, and connecting survivors to health and legal services.

“These male champions and gatekeepers are vital,” Namaguru emphasized. “They don’t just raise awareness—they intervene, refer, and provide safe spaces. They’re helping to shift deep-rooted social norms that undermine girls’ rights and futures.” Mariam Nabunnya, one of the graduates, said the program has given her a new lease on life:

“I used to feel like my life had ended. Now, I have something to live for—and a way to help other girls find that too.” Johnson Kiza, Programs Manager at PHAU, noted that the training covers three main areas: health and social empowerment, vocational skills—tailoring in Kampala and hairdressing in Mukono—and business management.

“This marks the completion of the second cohort of our empowerment program,” he said. “These girls now have the knowledge and tools to not just survive, but thrive.” The program comes at a critical time. According to Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports, over 354,000 teenage pregnancies were recorded between 2020 and 2022, exacerbated by COVID-19 school closures.

Many of these girls are unable to return to formal education, making vocational and life-skills training a vital alternative for reintegration and economic independence. Through the Let Her Shine model, participants receive comprehensive health education on HIV/AIDS, family planning, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. In addition to practical vocational modules, they are trained in entrepreneurship, covering everything from starting a business to managing finances, offering a path to self-reliance.

Kiza also noted the program’s ripple effect: “Beyond the 43 graduates, we now have a total of 98 young women who’ve gone through the full training. Even more remarkable is that they’ve helped establish over 40 small community training centers in their districts, which have already reached about 600 other girls.” These women are no longer just beneficiaries—they have become community educators and change agents, helping to shape a more equitable future for others like them.

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