AGYW Empowerment
The AGYW empowerment program
Kitovu Mobile limited has been implementing the Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) empowerment program since 2016. The program aims at strengthening the most vulnerable and most at risk Adolescent Girls and Young women aged 09-24.
By strengthening the Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYWS), the program seeks to achieve the accelerated HIV/AIDS epidemic control among the population
The main objectives of the program are embedded in the core package services and these include;
• Empower AGYWS and to reduce their risk to HIV and violence
• Strengthen families through training and supporting AGYWs to engage in at least one income Generating Activity (IGA) of their choice and also offer basic knowledge in management of finances (Financial Literacy/Aflateen).
• Reduce risk of sex partners.
The AGYW empowerment program provides a preventive behavioral change package aimed at equipping AGYWS with knowledge to keep safe from catching HIV. The program also targets the community in which these girls reside for a norms change and also provide such services to caregivers and AGYW partners.
The core programs implemented include; HIV Testing and Counselling Services (HTS), Social Economic Strengthening (SES), behavioral change programs such as; Stepping stones, Journeys Plus and secondary programmes that include; Post Violence Care, Parenting and care giver programs and community GBV awareness programs.
such services to caregivers and AGYW partners.
The core programs implemented include; HIV Testing and Counselling Services (HTS), Social Economic Strengthening (SES), behavioral change programs such as; Stepping stones, Journeys Plus and secondary programmes that include; Post Violence Care, Parenting and care giver programs and community GBV awareness programs.
We also provide the AGYWS with other needs based services like; contraceptive mix, condom provision, PEP, PrEP, ART and VMMC for AGYW partners. Local Government authorities in Masaka, Kyotera and Rakai districts have been fully supportive in this implementation and through the steering committee meetings, performance review meetings and the supervision to the AGYWS during vocational skills training.
Through the year 2023, the AGYW empowerment program, has been able to;
- Scale up on partner service provision and this has helped us to engage males into our programming.
- Train a total of 280 AGYWS in Hair dressing, bakery and tailoring in Kyotera and Rakai districts. These were also supported to develop business skills before completion and were given start up packages.
- AGYWS have been sensitized more about GBV thus can now openly talk about the vice.
- keep girls in school by providing school fees and providing scholastic materials,
