By
Maria Gorret Nampiima, Alumni, 2016/2017 Intern Cohort, Nabirere and Kamira
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As opposed to other
health interventions, family planning causes the most debate among policy
makers, religious leaders, and neighbors. Despite the negative perceptions
people have towards adopting family planning methods, the prevailing
circumstances in most of the developing countries have left many with no other
option: in Uganda there has been an upward curve of contraception use of nearly
20% (Andi, Wamala, Ocaya, and Kabagenyi, 2014). But this increase does not come
to those who lack strength.
Safiina, a mother of
eight children and one of our clients in Bufutula village, shared her story
about why she started using contraceptives. Similar to most women in rural
villages prior to the implementation of UVP health programming, she did not
want to use family planning services. She had been told falsely that
contraceptives cause conditions like hemorrhage and infertility because it
destroys the ovaries. Since her family depended on subsistence farming as the
only source of income, she and her husband lacked enough capacity to provide
basic needs to their children; clothing, education, and medical treatment all
seemed out of reach. As a result of having very limited resources, she lost a
child. After attending a community sensitization held by UVP and considering
her personal situation, Safiina began taking contraceptives.
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Realizing her influence
on her children, Safiina urged her eldest daughter to pursue contraceptive
methods. At a tender age of 17, Safiina’s first born dropped out of school and
is now a mother to a one-year old boy. Safiina now sees that her children’s
lives could be different if she had been in a position to space her children.
She wants a better life for her grandchildren.
After trying multiple
methods to find the most compatible option for her body, Safiina has settled
with a quarterly injection of Depo. Having taken on the initiative to utilize
the family planning services, she is not worried about having pregnancies she
has not planned for. Additionally, she feels energetic enough to work for her
children. Although she has benefited from the program, she claims her husband
is not supportive, which can make her contraceptive use challenging to
continue. Despite this challenge, Safiina acts as an ambassador for the UVP
family planning program.
Community members like
Safiina greatly appreciate our partners and stakeholders who work hand-in-hand
with us to ensure that we increase access of health interventions to people in
rural communities of Iganga. On this note, we call upon all social change
agents to come on board to support our programs morally and financially to
continue to strengthen UVP’s capacity in addressing social inequities and
injustices through facilitating health and well-being of rural communities in
Uganda through access, prevention, and education.
Want to help us continue to support Safiina and other women in
Bufutula? Make a contribution and
specify the family planning program. And follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to see
your UVP family in action in the villages. Safiina's story has been used with
her permission.
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