Utunyange Health Initiaitive

The Utunyange Initiative is a community-driven social enterprise program dedicated to empowering young females aged 10-24 in the Nyakabanda community by raising awareness on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), promoting gender equality, and addressing gender-based violence (GBV). This initiative is tailored to support young girls and women by fostering safe, informed, and equitable lives within their communities. Our program seeks to address the specific challenges faced by teen mothers, female sex workers, and other young women at high risk in Nyakabanda. Through a holistic approach, Utunyange provides SRHR education to ensure that girls and young women have accurate knowledge and the confidence to make informed decisions regarding their health and well-being. Additionally, the initiative actively works to challenge and reduce gender-based violence by raising awareness and engaging local leaders, families, and community members in advocacy and preventative education. As part of our commitment to economic empowerment, Utunyange offers business and vocational skills training to teen mothers and female sex workers, enabling them to achieve financial independence, break cycles of poverty, and create sustainable livelihoods. These trainings cover essential skills such as entrepreneurship, budgeting, and small business management, offering participants a path to economic resilience and self-sufficiency. The young females are given tailoring training, and at the end of the program they receive sewing machines to start making money, moreover, they start making reusable pads for themselves, and to sell at a cheaper price for reducing period poverty.