ENTEBBE – In the heart of Entebbe’s slums and fishing landing sites, a beacon of hope has emerged. The Entebbe Ghetto Youth Festival brought together over 700 young individuals, political leaders, community advocates, and health professionals to celebrate the talents of young people and address the challenges they face.
Hosted at Entebbe Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Nakiwogo Fishing Landing Site, the festival was a vibrant display of music, dance, and art. However, beneath the surface of this celebration lay a more profound purpose: to amplify the voices of marginalized youth, advocate for critical healthcare services, and challenge harmful stereotypes.
“The Entebbe Ghetto Youth Festival is more than just a celebration of talent; it’s a call to action,” said Babula Emmanuel, co-founder of the Entebbe Ghetto Youth Association. “We’re bringing together young people, community leaders, and health professionals to address the real challenges facing our communities. We want to create a platform where young people can express themselves, share their stories, and demand change.”
The statistics are stark: teenage pregnancies, high rates of HIV infections, unsafe abortions, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services are common struggles in these communities. Polyne Nabwire, Head of Programs at Family Medical Point, emphasized the need for comprehensive services that support young people’s rights to health, dignity, and opportunity.
“Young people need their voices heard while making health budgets and planning, especially when it comes to sexual and reproductive health,” Nabwire said. “Our communities are faced with urgent health challenges – teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and high HIV infection rates. We must invest in comprehensive services that support young people’s rights to health, dignity, and opportunity.”
Babula Emmanuel challenged the stereotypes that often marginalize young people from ghettos. “We are decent people with skills and talents,” he said. “We struggle when people stereotype us as thieves or hopeless. We want to show the world that we’re more than just our circumstances. We’re capable, we’re talented, and we’re deserving of respect and dignity.”
The festival was a call to action, a demand for change and investment in the futures of young people. “We need decent jobs, opportunities from the government, and other agencies,” Emmanuel continued. “We need access to quality education, healthcare, and resources. We need to be included in decision-making processes that affect our lives. We’re not just asking for handouts; we’re demanding our rights as citizens.”
Juliet Apio, Team Lead at Voices for Health and Development, emphasized the importance of amplifying youth voices in shaping the future of health and development. “Amplifying the voices of young people is crucial in addressing not only gender-based violence (GBV) but also the critical sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues they face,” Apio said. “Young people must be included in decisions that affect their health, from policy-making to program implementation. Their active participation ensures that health services are relevant, accessible, and tailored to their needs.”
The Entebbe Ghetto Youth Festival demonstrated the power of collaboration between community organizations, health professionals, policymakers, and youth leaders. By providing a platform for young people to share their stories and talents, the festival helped bridge the gap between marginalized communities and those in positions of power.
“We’re committed to supporting the Entebbe Ghetto Youth Association and other community organizations in their efforts to empower young people,” said a representative from the Ministry of Health. “We recognize the importance of investing in the health, education, and economic empowerment of young people. We’re working to create policies and programs that address the unique challenges facing young people in Uganda.”
Looking ahead, the Entebbe Ghetto Youth Festival will become an annual event, a space where young people can continue to express their talents, voice their concerns, and demand change. It is a commitment to ensuring that the youth of Entebbe are not left behind but are fully supported and empowered to shape their own futures.
“We’re not just a festival; we’re a movement,” Emmanuel said. “We’re a movement of young people demanding change, demanding justice, and demanding our rights. We’re a movement of community leaders, health professionals, and policymakers working together to create a brighter future for all Ugandans.”
