On 21 October 2026, young people from across Busoga gathered at Zeu Resort Hotel in Mayuge for the 2026 Annual Youth Symposium. Held under the theme “From Youth-Led Solutions to National Action: Uniting Young People to End Teenage Pregnancy, Child Marriage and SGBV”, the one-day symposium brought together about 50 youth champions, district leaders, health officials and partners, with young people firmly at the centre of the conversation. Organised by the SRHR Alliance Uganda, the symposium gave young people a platform to share what is working in their communities, name the barriers they face and agree on actions to take to leaders at district and national level.
The day opened with our youth champions under the ACT For Youth SRHR project sharing what they see in their communities. Irene, from Mayuge Town Council, said the reusable sanitary pad training is helping girls stay in school, while Babirye reported that more adolescents and young mothers are now attending antenatal care. Hassan, from Bwondha, described how he mediated between two families so that a 12-year-old girl could return to school after giving birth. He also warned that some village chairpersons settle defilement cases locally and help offenders walk free before due process is complete. Kayanga Milly, Senior Probation and Social Welfare Officer for Mayuge, told participants there is “nothing for young people without young people”, and encouraged them to keep speaking up. Chelangat Esther, a YAC Board member, then challenged the room to explain why teenage pregnancy persists in Busoga and what young people themselves would do about it.
Dr Nabwire Justine of the Ministry of Health put the challenge in numbers. In 2025/26, 419 girls under 15 attended antenatal care in Busoga, and every one of those pregnancies is a case of defilement that must be reported. Only 58 of every 100 girls who started antenatal care went on to deliver in a health facility, the lowest of all 15 regions, compared with 68 nationally. Guest of honour Okot Sam Olaa, Secretary for Legal Affairs at the National Youth Council (NYC), added that one in four Ugandan girls aged 15 to 19 has begun childbearing, with Busoga among the worst affected regions. He commended the region’s peer education work, urged young people to use youth council structures in every village to turn their solutions into proposals leaders cannot ignore, and pledged NYC support through budget advocacy, policy development and partnerships.
A panel on moving from community volunteers to change-makers followed. Huzairu Nyanzi, Executive Director of Jinja Network of Young People living with HIV, urged young people to build businesses that solve real problems and to document everything. Hillary Nuwamanya of the Global Fund Youth Sounding Board advised them to understand local culture so that influencers listen, and Hon. Cissy Nafula, Vice Chairperson of Namayingo District, said passion in volunteer work builds the trust that communities later repay at the ballot. Participants then split into four groups covering universities, communities, the media and movement building, and drafted youth-led recommendations to reduce teenage pregnancy, child marriage and SGBV. They will develop these with the NYC into a youth position paper for presentation to the NYC and the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Youth Affairs.
Closing the symposium, Hon. Nafula urged young people to stay in school, refuse sexual advances from older men and women, and speak up, reminding them that silence only deepens the problem. She encouraged them to report cases of teenage pregnancy, child marriage and SGBV through the free Sauti helpline, 116. The young people of Busoga have named the problem and put their solutions on paper. The work now is to carry them from Mayuge to the national table.