Each year, Gufasha Girls Foundation through sports brings communities together to raise awareness, amplify the voices of adolescent girls and strengthen their capacity to stand against child marriage as well as to improve community response towards ending child marriage in Uganda.
This year, the Gufasha Girls Annual Gala was held on the 4th of October in Bbaale community, Kayunga district with a theme of “The Power of Unity Against child Marriage”.
Child marriage is a persistent challenge that affects millions of young girls and their families globally. Despite progress in many areas of women’s rights and gender equality, child marriage remains widespread, especially in regions with limited access to education, economic opportunities, and social services.
According to the United Nations, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year, and most of these marriages occur in low-income countries, where traditions and socio-economic factors perpetuate the cycle.
Uganda itself ranks 16th among the countries with the highest rates of child marriage with 34% of girls being married off before the age of 18 every year.
This year’s gala theme, “The Power of Unity Against Child Marriage,” was chosen to emphasize that collective community action is necessary to dismantle harmful practices and create a safer, brighter future for girls everywhere. The Gufasha Girls Annual Gala served as a symbolic platform for advocating against child marriage, where the spirit of teamwork, empowerment, and solidarity was put into action.
Event Highlights
We kicked off the Gala with a grand opening ceremony featuring local leaders, athletes, advocates for children’s rights, students, adolescent girls, teachers, youth leaders, victims and survivors of child marriage, religious leaders, cultural leaders and the Police. The theme was introduced by a Team of Gufasha Girls Foundation being led by Joan Kembabazi, our team leader and Founder who is a prominent girls rights activist who has worked for years to raise awareness about child marriage and its devastating effects on girls and communities.
Just as unity is in football, we must unite in the fight for the rights of young girls to live free from child marriage, Joan said.
Sports Competitions:
The sports competitions were designed to bring together participants from different communities, backgrounds, ages, and abilities. From soccer to netball, these fast-paced sports helped demonstrate the need for teamwork and collaboration to overcome challenges. Just as in sports, we can only win the fight against child marriage when we work together, whether as individuals, communities or countries. The winning team were awarded prizes.
Panel session:
Alongside the competitions, the Gala also featured a panel of different stakeholders that provided insight on the physical, emotional, and social toll that child marriage inflicts on young girls and the importance of girls’ education and gender equality in combating it and how individuals and communities can take action.
The panelists included religious leaders, teachers, adolescent girls, victim of child marriage, parents, local leaders, health and police officers.
Artistic Performances
No sports gala is complete without entertainment, and this year’s performances were designed to inspire, uplift, and educate. A group of young dancers performed a contemporary piece inspired by the struggles of young girls, depicting the obstacles they face in their fight for freedom and education. Their powerful movements symbolized hope and resistance, while their message was clear: freedom from child marriage is a human right.
The Power of Community: Collective Action to End Child Marriage
What made this year’s Sports Gala so special was not just the fun and competition, but the shared sense of purpose that permeated the entire event. Moreover, the Gala became a space for dialogues as attendees weren’t merely spectators; they were part of a larger movement. The community showed up not only to cheer for their favorite teams but to also learn and share how they can advocate for an issue that affects the most vulnerable members of society.
The Future of the Fight: What’s Next?
We believe in the power of unity as our strongest tool in this fight and the commitments made by different community stakeholders particularly leaders will enable Gufasha Girls Foundation to strengthen and further our advocacy efforts.
In the coming months, we will be expanding our advocacy efforts through continued community engagement, education programs, and partnerships with local and international organizations. The power of unity that was demonstrated at the Gala will continue to fuel our actions as we work toward a future where no girl is forced into marriage before, they have the chance to grow, learn, and choose their own path in life.
Together, we can build a world where every girl is free to live out her childhood dreams, free from the shackles of early marriage.
