Rights Uplift Nobility for Girls Campaign (RUN 4 Girls)

The campaign aimed at mobilizing sanitary materials (pads & Nickers) for 600 girls in Butaleja District supported by eight(8) organizations. The activity was president over by Mr. Mondo Kyateka, Commissioner for Youth & Children (MoGLSD)
RUN 4 Girls is an advocacy campaign centered towards empowering girls hoping that through such initiatives girls can develop an aspiration to access SRH Information and services, and the know-how to make healthy choices and maintain a positive lifestyle. The objective is to increase provision of all-inclusive, integrated, person-centred approaches for girls at risk, by involving them in the design and delivery of the youth friendly health services, and improved specialist support. Our focus is to up-lift girls sexual Reproductive Health Rights in communities.
Why it is Urgent?
Menstruation in many societies is discussed in hushed tones. Unfortunately, the ripple effect is that young girls are forced to drop out of school. There are an estimated four million girls said to be in school today. If one million of them have started their periods, yet 80% of the country’s population lives in the rural areas, where menstruation is never freely talked about, then annually 800 girls might be contemplating dropping out of school. Research by Build Africa revealed the alarming statistics and impact that lack of sanitary pads has on girl child retention in schools and completion. On average, the report revealed that of the 80 days allocated to a school term, 29.7% of the adolescent girls said they miss a minimum of four days per cycle. This also includes examination days, important class presentations and the introduction of new topics.
As an advocacy campaign we all aim at empowering girls so they can develop an aspiration to access HIV/AIDS information and services, and the know-how to make healthy choices and maintain a positive lifestyle. The objective is to increase provision of all-inclusive, integrated, person-centred approaches for adolescent girls, girls at risk, by involving them in the design and delivery of friendly health services, and improved specialist support. Participation by young people in all stages of health provision needs assessment, design, delivery and evaluation is necessary to ensure that health responses are appropriate, effective and efficient. Therefore this campaign is a community health action campaign to address three (3) major categorical health risks among young people to include; Reproductive health risk (unsafe sex, lack of contraception, and teenage pregnancy), Behavioural risks (violence, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs), risk of disease and infection (HIV/STDs).
Our Campaign Objective were:
1) To widely communicate the needs and rights of young women to access quality health care services.
2) Accelerate awareness and access to friendly health services programmes for schools and youth groups in local community about HIV/AIDs.
3) To increase access to youth friendly services at youth support centres including health facilities.
4) To use sports and creative arts to complement formal education especially among young people.