{"id":12674,"date":"2025-10-24T17:05:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T15:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wpdi.org\/?p=12674"},"modified":"2025-10-24T17:05:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T15:05:40","slug":"wpdi-reaches-650-community-members-with-advocacy-campaign-for-education-and-peace-in-the-acholi-sub-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wpdi.org\/fr\/news\/wpdi-reaches-650-community-members-with-advocacy-campaign-for-education-and-peace-in-the-acholi-sub-region\/","title":{"rendered":"WPDI Reaches 650+ Community Members with Advocacy Campaign for Education and Peace in the Acholi Sub-Region"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"October 24, 2025 –<\/b> Across Uganda, school dropouts, early pregnancies, and family conflicts continue to threaten children\u2019s education and long-term peace within communities. According to<\/span> UNICEF Uganda<\/span><\/a>, about one in four adolescent girls becomes pregnant by age 19, one of the highest rates in East Africa. Many of these pregnancies lead to girls dropping out of school, contributing to the fact that only about 38% of pupils who start primary school complete their education, according to<\/span> UNESCO\u2019s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA)<\/span><\/a>. At the secondary level, outcomes remain similarly concerning, with completion rates stagnating at around 30%, as noted in a<\/span> VOXDEV analysis<\/span><\/a>. These realities underscore the urgent need to sensitize families and communities on how to protect and empower young people, ensuring that education remains a pathway to peace and opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Incorporating these realities and the needs expressed by local communities, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) carried out a six-month advocacy campaign across the Acholi Sub-Region of Uganda, reaching 656 children, adolescents, and parents in the Kitgum, Omoro, and Gulu districts. Through community meetings and interactive sessions, WPDI created safe spaces where parents, educators, and young people could openly discuss the root causes of school dropouts, early pregnancies, and family conflict\u2014emphasizing the benefits of positive parenting, communication, and child protection as foundations for peace and education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

WPDI\u2019s advocacy campaign addresses these challenges, helping parents and youth recognize the social and economic barriers that limit children\u2019s potential and guiding communities toward inclusive, sustainable solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAttending the WPDI advocacy campaign meeting transformed my understanding of teenage challenges. I learned positive parenting skills, enabling me to communicate effectively, support my children\u2019s education and emotional needs, prevent early pregnancies, and inspire other parents to do the same.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u2014 <\/span>Grace<\/b>, Kitgum District<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBefore attending the WPDI advocacy campaigns, I saw teenage pregnancies merely as a moral issue. Now, I understand the importance of education and support systems, actively support my children, and encourage other parents to engage in their children\u2019s well-being.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u2014 <\/span>Okumu<\/b>, Omoro District<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI struggled to understand the causes of school dropouts and factors affecting education before joining WPDI\u2019s advocacy campaign meetings. Now, I actively advocate for learners, raise community awareness, and work with parents to create a supportive environment that keeps children in school.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u2014 <\/span>Okwonga<\/b>, Gulu District<\/span><\/p>\n

Through these initiatives, WPDI continues to demonstrate that peace begins at home and that communities are the strongest when families, educators, and young people unite behind a shared commitment to education. Each conversation sows the seeds of understanding, each parent\u2019s voice reinforces the right to learn, and each child inspired represents a step toward a more peaceful, equitable future for Northern Uganda.<\/span><\/p>\n

By nurturing empathy, dialogue, and mutual respect, the advocacy campaign reminded participants that peace is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and passed on from generation to generation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to the support of an anonymous donor\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"October 24, 2025 – Across Uganda, school dropouts, early pregnancies, and family conflicts continue to threaten children\u2019s education and long-term peace within communities. According to UNICEF Uganda, about one in four adolescent girls becomes pregnant by age 19, one of the highest rates in East Africa. Many of these pregnancies lead to girls dropping out… View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":12677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWPDI Reaches 650+ Community Members with Advocacy Campaign for Education and Peace in the Acholi Sub-Region - WPDI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wpdi.org\/news\/wpdi-reaches-650-community-members-with-advocacy-campaign-for-education-and-peace-in-the-acholi-sub-region\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WPDI Reaches 650+ Community Members with Advocacy Campaign for Education and Peace in the Acholi Sub-Region - WPDI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"October 24, 2025 – Across Uganda, school dropouts, early pregnancies, and family conflicts continue to threaten children\u2019s education and long-term peace within communities. 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