Students' Personal Testimonies

It will be shame on me if I pretend as though I gained nothing from World Starts With Me and the training I was given as a Student Peer Educator educator from Gulu – Pope John Paul II College in the year 2010.

The training gave me courage to speak openly to students on the sexual reproductive health and rights issues and this has helped changed the lives of students in which ever school I went to as well as enhancing their discipline.

I am so much delighted in the work well done by the World Starts With Me team -for they have groomed me into a good leader and a lady of caliber.

At Pope John Paul, I was the assistant head-girl but was seen as the head-girl because of my hard work. In my High School at Comprehensive College Kitetikka in Wakiso, I was the Speaker of the Students’ Council as well as the acting head-girl from 2011 to 2012 and when I joined the university, I got engaged in Public dialogues, debates and politics of the University,
Now as I talk, I am the cabinet minister for Gender and Women affairs – Gulu University who was elected as the women representative to the Guild.

Great thanks to the World Starts With Me and its partners

It was 2008 when I was in P.7 class with 14 years and I started experiencing body changes in my life. The  first body changes I experienced were pubic hair around my armpits and around my private parts. But I was so scared to see this because I was so innocent about it. I couldn’t believe that it happens.

I thought it was a secret that I couldn’t expose it to any of the old people but I firstly shared it with my agement brother who had no t experienced it then. So he laughed at me and told me that I am abnormal and I can’t have a child. So I was so much scared to the extent of fearing myself.

With that much fear, it forced me to shave. It was my elder brother who later told me told me that it is very normal to have that at  an early age like that and it shows that your hormones are very active.

After that, he started teaching me about body changes and he gave me more advice on how to live a positive life during the whole of teenage age.

By the names am known as Ouma Ali, a student of Tanna Memorial High School and a member of World Starts With Me. Before I joined this club, I had 3 friends to whom I did everything with them. We used to go for discos and in that process; we used to take alcohol each and every time. It was usually in holidays.

When it was school time, we used to walk the three of us to school. My friends were all in higher classes than me, that is to say, they were in senior 5 and I was in senior 2.

One day after lunch time, our teacher called Madam Mawejje Sarah came to our class asking for some people to join the club. We didn’t know the meaning of the club but she explained and said; “this is the club that teaches youths to become good citizens, good leaders and good fathers/mothers for the future”

I and my friends joined the club, by good chance. The first day I joined the club is the time they taught about the topic known as “common risks among young people”. The teacher introduced a sub-topic called Alcohol and Drug abuse.

We were taught;
– The types of drugs and their effects
– Why young people abuse alcohol and drugs
– The signs of drug addiction
– The health effects of drug abuse and lastly how we can overcome alcohol and drug abuse

At the end of the topic, we were able to change because of World Starts With Me club and we shall remain changed forever and ever. Therefore I end by thanking all the management of this club and welcome each and every one especially the young youths to join the club.

I can’t tell but I was lost but now am found since you came to my life. You came like a mother to me because of your words and time you have for me. I was in a forest where no one could rescue me but for you, you managed to do so and now I am here.

I was like a slave  being punished and subjected to all sorts of injustices but you came as a savior in my life and took me to the promised land where I got milk and honey.
Now I can thank you for you for goodness, you who struggled for the well being of my life, in the morning and evening you are there for me even the time I could not speak but you made me to speak because you made me someone in my life.

I used to fear myself because of my nature but because you taught me that I should be proud of myself because of my nature. That’s why I can now stand before the people and talk to them. Per now my esteem is higher than before. I pray that God blesses you that you can also start with other people.

My love for you is too strong oh WORLD STARTS WITH ME because we all need you.

WSWM has helped my life through knowing new things in the world. This is how I can help those who are in need.
It has impacted my life how to make local pads because I was not knowing how to make them and per now I can manage  and I can teach my fellow colleagues . WSWM has also also impacted my life through knowing my own dream worksheet and the benefits of achieving my dream or vision and how to achieve the goals and what might stand in my way when am achieving and what do I need to do and what I need to avoid doing until when I achieve my dream and steps I will take and completion date. I am encouraging my fellow colleagues to join WSWM club because it is important to youth of Uganda.

First of all I appreciate WSWM for all the good things I have got and learnt from this club.
WSWM has helped me to gain confidence in myself which I didn’t have before. I have gained courage and confidence through educating my peers at assembly and now I can speak before many people confidently.
Through WSWM, I personally have learnt how to go through challenging situations in life. I have also acquired skills of advising and counseling my fellows who are troubled and challenged.

Before joining WSWM, I was green about simple income generating activities like knitting, cake making, but now I have got the skills of doing such.
World Starts With Me has helped and changed my attitude positively towards associating and interacting with many people as different categories.

Through WSWM, I have also acquired some skills about computer and now I can use a computer to write messages, research information and even sending emails on internet. So long live WSWM club.

My testimony is about body changes. I developed my breast one after the other and for some time one was bigger. Many students laughed at me, I asked my teacher whether it was normal and she said; Yes but the other would grow. After one term the other breast had grown to the same size. Our bodies develop differently and we should accept the change.

I thank God for the WSWM club that at one time invited Health workers to talk to us about STDs and STIs. The health worker from Kiyunga Health Centre IV  told us symptoms of different diseases like itching and blisters which I had, then they gave us treatment and I recovered.

One day my father had gone for safari. My step mum prepared supper and we ate together. In the middle of the night, she came touching after I had gone to sleep. She asked me for sex. She had already undressed herself. I agreed out of fear but regretted later. If my step mum had HIV, I may be having it by now. This is sad. No one should be forced to have sex. After that I learnt that people around us can destroy our lives.

Dear teachers, counselors give us advice when such things happen to us in our life and you save our future.

My fellow young people, if you are raped, please go immediately to the health centre or hospital and ask for PEP (Post-exposure prophylaxis a type of treatment started immediately after exposure to a disease-causing virus such as HIV in order to prevent infection by the virus and the development of disease). When taken within 72 hours it will stop HIV infection.

Dear friends, you need to always avoid risky situations which can expose you to HIV.

Last year 2010, I went for holidays at my aunt and uncle’s place. On Sunday morning, my aunt got up early and left me sleeping. As soon as she left, my uncle woke me up, pulled my blanket off and tried to take off my clothes.

I cried “NO uncle. Please don’t do that” but he eventually over powered me. I was so afraid, I could not talk.

He took his trousers off, pulled my legs apart and lay on top of me. He was hurting me so much but he kept saying be quiet. When he stopped, he made me go and wash myself, gave me some money and told me not to tell anyone and if I dared do so, he would kill me.

I thank God that I was so cunning that I escaped and went back home. I told my mother what exactly had happened to me. She took me to hospital and reported my uncle to Police after which he was imprisoned.

I encourage my fellow youth to always open up to people they trust in case of sexual abuse so as to eliminate child sexual abuse in our societies.