At just 17 years old, Oroba Kanguha, then a Senior Three learner at Kigumba Secondary School in Kiryandongo District, faced one of the most difficult moments of her young life. During the third-term holiday in 2023, she became pregnant. For months, she struggled with fear, uncertainty, and the burden of keeping the pregnancy to herself. It was not until her second term in Senior Four that a clinic confirmed what she already suspected.
“The news was devastating. I felt like my life had ended,” she says softly. “I asked my mother’s friend to help me break the news to my parents because I couldn’t do it myself.”
Her father, overwhelmed with emotion, chased her from home. With nowhere else to turn, she sought temporary refuge at her boyfriend’s home. Even then, she refused to abandon her education.
“Something inside me kept saying, don’t give up on your education,” she recalls.
With the support of her boyfriend’s family, she continued attending school throughout her pregnancy. A week before her Uganda Certificate Examinations, she gave birth to a baby girl and insisted on sitting for her exams.
“I remember writing my exam while my baby cried outside. The invigilators let me step out to breastfeed and return to finish,” she recounts.
Her headteacher, Mr. Mayanja Moses, reflects,
“Kanguha is a symbol of courage. Her determination has inspired many girls here to stay in school and make informed choices.”
How USEEP Helped Make Her Return Possible
While Kanguha’s personal resilience carried her far, her ability to remain in school and later return with confidence was strengthened by the systems and support structures established under the Uganda Secondary Education Expansion Project (USEEP).
Under USEEP’s Child Protection and Safety interventions:
- Teachers at Kigumba Secondary School had already been trained on how to support pregnant learners and child mothers, respond calmly to disclosure, and uphold the Ministry’s re-entry policy. This ensured that when Kanguha needed understanding and flexibility, the school was prepared to support her rather than push her out.
- The school had received IEC materials on children’s rights, reporting pathways, and responsibilities of caregivers, visibly displayed throughout the compound. These materials helped reduce stigma and reminded both learners and teachers that girls like Kanguha have a right to continue their education.
- Continuous engagement with WIU and partners helped the school strengthen referral pathways, guidance and counselling, and overall sensitivity toward cases of pregnancy and GBV.
Because of these interventions, Kanguha found herself in a school environment that no longer treated pregnancy as an automatic end to education. Instead, she encountered teachers who were informed, compassionate, and guided by a child protection lens enabling her to navigate pregnancy, childbirth, and examinations with dignity.
A Second Chance at Life
After completing her UCE, her family moved by her determination welcomed her back home. She passed with commendable results and is now pursuing History Economics Geography/Submath at Adavanced-Level. Her dream is to become an accountant and raise her daughter in a home grounded in education, confidence, and hope.
Her story demonstrates how USEEP’s system-wide improvements translate into real protection and opportunity for individual girls, especially those at risk of dropping out due to pregnancy, violence, or stigma.
Funded by the World Bank through the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and implemented by WIU in partnership with Joy for Children Uganda and Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD), USEEP continues to strengthen safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments across Uganda ensuring that all learners, especially girls, can remain in school and pursue their goals.
Kanguha’s journey serves as a powerful reminder: when the education system protects girls, their dreams remain within reach, no matter the challenge.