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25% OF TVET STUDENTS IN WEST NILE HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

By Anzoo Evaline and Bazio Doreen.25% of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students in West Nile have experienced sexual violence according to a 2025 baseline survey report for the safety and protection of children.The perpetrators are said to be fellow students, teachers and community members while the main places where violence occurs were cited as: classrooms, school compounds, dormitories/hostels, bushy areas near schools and on outings/tours.The main drivers of violence against children in schools identified are: economic hardships, parenting gaps, peer pressure, harmful cultural practices as well as drug and alcohol abuse.The findings also show that: 24.5% and 25.5% of secondary school students had experienced physical and economic violence respectively; only 74.5% schools included child protection in their school development plans; and 25.5% teachers lacked skills on child protection.While presenting the survey’s findings to key stakeholders from Ma’di Sub Region at the Adjumani District Council Hall on 6th November 2025, Obong Peter (PhD), the lead researcher said that the aim of the survey was to generate evidence to strengthen child protection in secondary schools and institutions of learning in line with the National Strategic Plan (NSP VACiS 2015–2020).The survey covered 51 schools, and 1,003 (505 male, 498 female) students across nine West Nile districts of Adjumani, Moyo, Terego, Yumbe, Koboko, Maracha, Madi-Okollo, Obongi, and Arua. Other key informants were Police Officers, District Education Office staff, Teenage mothers, Community Development Officers, and NGOs.The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and Windle International under the Uganda Secondary Education Expansion Project (USEEP).  On his part, Dima Robert, the Adjumani District Education Officer, confirmed poor parenting as contributor of violence against school going children urging stakeholders to scale up sensitization and awareness creation.“Poor parenting is one of the causes of violence among students. Some community activities expose learners to bad peer groups. We need regular parents’ meetings to create awareness on better parenting methods,” Dima stated.Similarly, Jomaring Japheth Joel, the Head Teacher Idiwa Secondary School in Palorinya Refugee Settlement Obongi district, observed a knowledge gap within both students, and their parents. “Financial challenges, early and forced marriages, and girls’ lack of sexual and reproductive health information are contributing factors,” Jomaring said.Samuel Mpibaza Hashaka, the Resident District Commissioner Obongi is now calling for a joint and concerted effort by all duty bearers and key stakeholders to join the fight against violence that targets school going children.“We are doing worse than Karamoja and as far as children are concerned, especially those at school and those who are supposed to be at school. And I want to say we are at crisis level early marriages, teenage pregnancies, defilement are the order of the day. So, we have to put our efforts together to make sure we stop this violation of the children's rights because we, the stakeholders, and the parents are not doing enough,” said Hashaka.Fortunately, Obong in his report also stressed that protection measures have been put in place to prevent the vice in schools.“74.5% of schools have integrated child protection in their School Development Plans, Guidance & Counselling stands at (21.7%), VAC sensitization (17.8%) Menstrual Hygiene Management (17.1%), 80% of teachers accessed training in 2024,” Obong stated.Ocen Julius, the Program Manager, Windle International, also recommended that more capacity building trainings need to be conducted.  “We need to strengthen capacity building, increase resource allocation to boost funding to support child protection activities and infrastructure, improve reporting and referral systems, support vulnerable learners to introduce counselling, ensure childcare support for teenage mothers, and enhance community and parental engagement to reduce stigma,” Ocen recommended.Meanwhile, district leaders in the Madi Sub-region praised the Ministry for spearheading the assessment and committed to using the findings to improve the safety and wellbeing of learners. They also pledged to collaborate with MoES, NGOs, and school administrations to close the identified gaps and ensure safe, inclusive, and protective learning environments in all schools.The dissemination meeting brought together district leaders from Adjumani, Obongi, and Moyo, head teachers, District Education Officers (DEOs), Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), and education stakeholders. END. 

ADJUMANI DISTRICT ALLOCATES UGX 46.7 BILLION BUDGET FOR FY 2026/2027.

By Bazio Doreen.Adjumani District Local Government has allocated a budget worth Ugx 46.7 billion for the Financial Year 2026/2027 representing a 35.59% significant reduction compared to the Ugx 72.6 billion approved in the running financial year.District leaders are now concerned about the trend observing that it is likely to affect service delivery, especially amid the rising population of both nationals and refugees in the district. Currently, Adjumani hosts 528,885 people, including 300,590 nationals and 228,295 refugees.During the budget conference that took place at the district council hall on 10th November 2025, district leaders however attributed the decline to several factors, including the completion of major donor-funded projects such as USMID-AF, DRDIP, PRELNOR, and NUSAF, whose conclusion has left noticeable funding gaps.The Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Leku Samuel, acknowledged that the budget trend has shifted over time.“Where are we heading? This is the first five years before history. As you can see here, the trend is coming down. For the last five years, we were doing well. It started from 25 billion to 72 billion during COVID time. Then you can see the trend has been the positive one. Now we have moved to 46 billion. Today we are gathered here for 46 billion,” he said.Speaking on the issue of the budget reduction, District Vice Chairperson, Hon. Kaijuka Richard Arthur, noted that the decline is not unique to Adjumani.“I think everyone is aware that it’s not only in Adjumani but the whole nation is affected. But specifically, for Adjumani, most of the government projects have ended. I want to request our partners that though most donors have withdrawn, let’s continue supporting with the little we are having because the population of refugees in Adjumani is almost the same with the host community,” Kaijuka appealed.As of 31st October 2025, the district has so far realized Ugx 21.6 billion out of the current budget of 49.7 billion representing 43.53%. While local revenue performance stands at Ugx 219.77 million out of the Ugx 2.6 billion budgeted, representing 8.3%. Central government transfers were Ugx 20.4 billion out of the total budget of Ugx 42.8 billion, which is 47.7%. For donors’ support, the district has so far received UGX 1.008 billion out of the total of 4.3 billion representing 23.6%.To improve revenue performance, the Senior Finance Officer, Mr. Samson Yuma, highlighted several strategies drawn from the District Development Plan (DDP4) 2025 - 2030, including: Electronic evaluation, assessment, and collection through the Revenue and Social System; enforcement of local revenue mobilization and collection by both political and technical teams; strengthening internal control systems using electronic receipting; regular tax coding, consultations, and reviews; reviewing reserve prices for all revenue sources and enhancing supervision and enforcement at all local government levels.Hon. Kaijuka, also highlighted the importance of transitioning from subsistence to commercial agriculture to stimulate income growth.“Uganda’s economy and most of our people are employed in agriculture. But we must move away from subsistence farming to commercial so that money comes in our pocket,” he said.Despite the funding cuts and donor withdrawal, district leaders expressed commitment to strengthening local revenue mobilization, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring that the limited resources are optimally utilized to meet the growing demands of both the host and refugee communities.The annual budget preparation process was conducted in accordance with the Public Finance and Management Regulations (2026). The budget conferences at all levels are convened in accordance with section 7 subsection 1 and 2 (b) of the Public Finance and Management Regulations 2026. The District priorities are done based on submissions from the lower local governments.END. 

NEGATIVE CULTURAL PRACTICES PUSH REFUGEE BOYS OUT OF SCHOOL.

 By Bazio Doreen and Anzoo Evaline. Mothers in the refugee settlements of Adjumani District have raised deep concern over persistent cultural practices that continue to negatively affect the education and moral upbringing of their children.The practices, which include the early initiation of boys as young as 14 years into adulthood, are being blamed for promoting immoral behaviors and contributing to school dropouts among young boys.Amer Dhieu Dau, a concerned mothers say that such traditional rituals, which were once valued as a rite of passage in their countries of origin, have now become harmful in the current context of life in the settlement. Many young boys reportedly lose interest in education soon after the initiation ceremonies, perceiving themselves as “men” who no longer need to attend school.“We are worried as mothers because our boys are being forced into adulthood at a very young age. After initiation, they begin to disrespect us, we are really suffering in the hands of these boys, refuse to go to school, and start engaging in immoral activities like drinking and womanizing,” said Dhieu a mother of four living in Ayilo I Refugee Settlement. According to teachers in several refugee settlement schools, the aftermath of these ceremonies is reflected in reduced school attendance and performance among the affected boys. Some students reportedly abandon school completely, claiming they are now “adults” and no longer subject to the authority of teachers or parents.Mr. Aluma Ivuson Richard, the Head Teacher of St. Thereza nursery and primary school in Ayilo I Settlement, noted that cultural practices, though important, should evolve to fit the changing world.“Culture should not destroy the future of our children. We are in an era where education and technology determine survival, not traditional initiation rituals,” he said.The mothers have appealed to cultural leaders and elders to abandon these harmful practices and instead embrace modern values that promote education and positive behaviors among the youth. They emphasized the need for awareness campaigns and dialogue between elders, parents, and the young generation to harmonize culture with the demands of modern life.“As mothers, we are not against culture, but we want our children to be prepared for a better future through education, not through outdated traditions. The world has changed, these days we don’t even need some of this culture thing and we must change with it,” said Mama Alulo, another refugee mother.Alugbwi Albert, the Assistant Settlement Commandant – Ayilo, on his part pledged to engage cultural elders and community leaders to address the issue through community dialogues and sensitization sessions. They believe that combining respect for culture with education and technology will build a more progressive and morally upright generation.“As partners, we are trying our level best to talk to this people about the importance of educating our children before bringing in culture and we shall continue to sensitize them”, said Alugbwi.The initiation ceremonies, often conducted by community elders, involve teaching the boys traditional values and survival skills meant to prepare them for adulthood. However, mothers and education leaders argue that in the modern setting, these practices are outdated and detrimental to the social and academic development of the children.END