A summary of the activities at Rugby Tackling Life (RTL) in Uganda:

Education
Through donations from various well wishers in Finland, New Zealand and Uganda, RTL was able to pay fees for 12 girls at different learning institutions in Kitgum, Lira, Jinja and Kampala. One girl completed a Fashion and Design certificate course, another girl a Primary Teacher certificate course, another girl completed Form 6 and four girls completed Form 4. We currently have one girl in her second year of a Diploma in Business Administration, another in her first year of a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, one girl going on to her second year in a Cosmetology certificate course and another to her second year in a Fashion and Design certificate course and one girl going on to Form 6.

Girls First Fund project
RTL was this year awarded a 12-month grant by Girls First Fund (GFF) on Ending Child Marriage. We chose Labongo-Akwang and Mucwini sub counties in Kitgum as our areas of operation for this grant. Through our rugby programmes in Labongo-Akwang and Mucwini sub counties, RTL has so far reached about 300 adolescents in Kitgum of which about 48% were girls. Our partner, Muvubuka Agunjuse Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Information and Service Provision Centre (MUAG), also held trainings, micro consultative forums, community and tri-partite dialogues in Labongo-Akwang and Mucwini sub counties that attracted about 250 other stakeholders (parents, guardians, youth leaders, teachers, health workers, church leaders, community leaders, sub county chiefs, child protection officers, law enforcement officers, Kitgum Lions and Kitgum Queens Rugby Club etc) who have committed towards ending child marriage in Labongo-Akwang and Mucwini sub counties. RTL attended a GFF Learning Convening which involved over 30 GFF grantees and RTL was singled out for having the “Most Gender Transformative Approach” to ending Child Marriage.

Rugby and Life Skills
Courtesy of funds donated by Ruusuvuoren Koulu (a school in Finland), there were 3 rugby integrated with Life Skills events held at St Mary’s Ediofe Girls’ Secondary School in Arua (West Nile), St Katherine’s Girls’ Secondary School in Lira (Northern Uganda) and Kings Park Arena in Bweyogerere (Central Uganda) where about 350 teenagers (of which about 80% were girls) were reached. In Arua there was an additional Menstruation Hygiene Management (MHM) session for girls carried out in addition to the Life Skills sessions for girls and boys and over 100 reusable pads distributed to the girls courtesy of Ruusuvuoren Koulu, Youth Tackling Periods and The Marthas (all from Finland). In Lira, in addition to the Life Skills session there was an additional session on Nutrition courtesy of Living Goods-Uganda who also provided a breakfast of porridge for all the participants as well as packets of porridge for the tournament winners. At Kings Park Arena, in additional to the RTL Life Skills session the Lady Cranes 7s team players provided inspiration to the players with their life stories and spent the morning with the teams providing tips and giving encouragement.

Emilly Lekuru spent 3 months on the International Rugby Programme (IRP) at St Bedes College in New Zealand, courtesy of a fund-raising drive by RTL, the generosity of numerous benefactors from all around the world and a partial scholarship from St Bedes College.

Rugby training and playing kit, equipment such as balls, mouth guards etc was received from friends in Hong Kong, Ruusuvuren Koulu, The Mamas Rugby organisation in Sweden and St Bedes College in New Zealand which has been distributed to individuals and rugby teams in Eastern, Central and Northern Uganda as well as to the Rhinos Hockey Academy. RTL was also invited by Rhinos Hockey Academy to hold a Life Skills session with 20 adolescent hockey playing girls during their end of year get together that involved financial literacy training as well.

Summary
In 2019, RTL has reached about 650 adolescents (about 65% were female) from 12 districts in Uganda and about 280 other stakeholders through our programmes where we strive to empower girls and promote gender equity, as well as develop rugby up country. All this would not have been possible without our donors, well wishers as well as the people who work together with us on the ground to achieve all this.

THANK YOU everyone who has worked together with us in one way or another to make a positive impact on young girls’ and boys’ lives in Uganda. RTL deeply appreciates everyone’s input and we look forward to continuing in the same vein in 2020.

From all of us at RTL, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Enjoy the festive season and see you in 2020!

By Helen Koyokoyo Buteme.