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October is nearly finished and Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day are right around the corner. We have specific holidays in America that the majority of the population celebrates in some way. But often, I think we are unaware of national and international holidays that have been established to bring recognition and awareness to certain issues. According to the UN events page, there are several of these holidays that occurred in this month alone that are significant in Uganda. Here are a few:
* Uganda Independence Day (October 9)
* International Day of the Girl Child (October 11)
* International Day of Rural Women (October 15)
* World Food Day (October 16)
* International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17)
I just want to focus on two of these important holidays, since we work alongside these demographics within the ministry of ROWAN.
International Day of the Girl Child
“Uganda has the world’s youngest population with over 78 percent of its population below the age of 30. With just under eight million youth aged 15-30, the country also has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.”(www.youthpolicy.org/factsheets/country/uganda/)
With such a large part of the population of Uganda being so young, we have a huge opportunity to help educate and empower the next generation to be agents of change in their country. We want to encourage these young girls and women to be productive members of society as they share the love of Jesus with those around them while pursuing the dreams and goals they have for their lives.
The world’s 1.1 billion girls are part of a large and vibrant global generation poised to take on the future. Yet the ambition for gender equality in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlights the preponderance of disadvantage and discrimination borne by girls everywhere on a daily basis.
(http://www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/)
International Day of Rural Women
The women we are privileged to partner with in Mawanga and surrounding villages possess a strength and resilience like I have never seen before. These ladies are my heroes! In the midst of unpredictable circumstances, obstacles and setbacks they continue to fight for their dreams and cling to a hope only found in Jesus. We have seen so much growth in their personal and professional lives and celebrate their successes with them. They are rich in Love, Hope & Joy and are looking to a bright future for their children.
Rural women, the majority of whom depend on natural resources and agriculture for their livelihoods, make up over a quarter of the total world population. In developing countries, rural women represent approximately 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force, and produce, process and prepare much of the food available, thereby giving them primary responsibility for food security.
Bearing in mind that 76 per cent of the extreme poor live in rural areas, ensuring rural women’s access to productive agricultural resources contributes to decreasing world hunger and poverty, and make rural women critical for the success of the new Sustainable Development agenda for 2030.
(http://www.un.org/en/events/ruralwomenday/)
Sponsoring a child or widow gives us the awesome opportunity of walking alongside and building a relationship, while cheering them on to success! We would love for YOU to become part of our family.
Sponsor today!
