Central Girls Vocational School Hosts Landmark Regional Girl Summit

Central Girls Vocational School in Luwero District hosted the Central Region Girl Summit 2025 on November 7, 2025, assembling over 430 participants including district officials, educators, and young learners. The event, organised under the theme "Re-entry, Reclaim, Rise: Educate the Girl, Empower the Nation," centred on supporting teenage mothers' return to education and promoting vocational training as an empowerment pathway.

The summit, coordinated by the Girls Not Brides Consortium and Anthill Foundation Uganda, celebrated the resilience of 500 teenage mothers while promoting awareness of Uganda's national school re-entry policy.

Katende Elijah, representing the Ministry of Education and Sports Gender Unit, delivered the keynote address, affirming education as a constitutional right and emphasising inclusive education's importance. A children's panel featured young mothers discussing stigma and discriminatory peer attitudes, recommending child-friendly school policies and enhanced counselling services.

Attendees heard inspiring testimonies. Stella Amongin, 18, dropped out in Primary 4 but enrolled in the Fashion and Design course at CGVS, stating that pregnancy need not define one's future. Nalubega Anisha credited mentoring with rebuilding her confidence and enabling peer mentoring work.

The exhibition tent showcased skills acquired through vocational programs, featuring fashion items, bags, and beaded products produced by young mothers. The Anthill Foundation's National Coordinator emphasised education's role in achieving Vision 2040 and building a skilled workforce.

The summit concluded with stakeholder commitments from district officials and child protection units to establish policy-enabling environments and adopt multisectoral approaches addressing teenage pregnancy.