Don't marry off girls before completing their education- Justice Mugisha

By Hope Mafaranga

 

When I was young, my step mother never believe that a girl can go beyond senior two in education. In fact she tried to influence my father to marry off, and being a judge  has been the Grace of God. This was part of the testimony Lady Justice Linda Lillian Tumusiime Mugisha of Industrial Court  told the gathering of Old Girls of Trinity College Nabbingo on Saturday, during a dinner held at Golf Course hotel, in Kampala.

Mugisha who is also an Old Girl of Trinity College Nabbingo, joined the rest of old girl to fundraise for the construction of Trinity Junior School, under the theme:"Appreciate, Celebrate and Enhance Girl Child Education".

She said she her school fees was paid by nuns at Nabbingo, who valued the girl child education.

" I lived in a convent, the sisters provided for me even with sanitary towels an important commodity in the lives of girls. Many girls have dropped out of school due to lack of sanitary towels, I thank God, He sent me mothers who provided for me," she said.

She asked other old students to always go back to the communities to get girls from the grassroots, mold them to ensure they get knowledge, education and skills in order to compete in the world of work and also learn to run and manage businesses.

"So many girls who are intelligent are in the community without an option of getting education. I appeal to you all to give back to the community, educate a girl child and give her skills to enable future women sustain themselves," she said.

She contributed sh 500,000 towards the construction of Trinity Junior School and pledged a monthly contribution of sh 500,000 for the next four years.

She also pledged to educate one of the less privileged girl from senior one to six six.

Cotilda Nakate Kikomeko the chairperson of Trinity Junior School, said they are looking for sh1.4b to construct the school to feed into college and fight illiteracy in the country.

Agnes Igoye the commondant of....... said the school gave them a whole life and direction in their lives and not just cram work but practical skills that have enabled them to succeed.

"The were tough not to settle for less, that confidence, trust and leadership skills have made us competitive women in the world," she said.

Igoye who is also the founder of Rehabilitation Center for Human Trafficking, said the vice is real and affects girls and women more than their male counterparts.

"Human Trafficking is real and lives with us. Unfortunately it affects girls and women more and we need to fight it to the end by sending and keeping our girls in schools and ensuring their complete their education," she said.