To promote respect for human rights of women and girls for their meaningful participation in development; To empower women and girls to demand for Economic, Sexual, Reproductive, Health rights for improved livelihoods; To improve women and girl’s access to specialized maternal and child health services for improved quality of life.
OUR CALL
Smile Again Family project was founded in 2014 by Stella Ritah Mugagga and subsequently got officially registered in 2017 as a community based organization to address challenges and dire situations that teenage girls who got pregnant were facing. The main challenge included teenage girls being thrown out of their families due to early pregnancies.
In 2014 Our founder attended a conference on prevalence of teenage pregnancies and found out that Uganda is a predominantly patriarchal society and that gender based and sexual violence was prevailing, inhibiting women and girls.
Stella also found out that Women and girls had no ability to access their economic, social protection and judicial rights against any violations.
In 2015, Stella embarked on the mission to provide support to teenage mothers by offering temporary shelter to teenage expectant mothers as they would reconcile with their families until such a time when they would give birth to their children.
In 2016, Stella engaged the Resident District Commissioner of Masaka, local leaders and the Probation Officer, so that they can officially work in Masaka.
In 2017, the Smile Again Family Uganda was legally registered and expanded operations officially up to date.
WHO WE ARE
Smile Again is a community based organization that works to build and strengthen families through sensitization, formation and skills development of young people.
We carry out pre-marital formation for young people, sensitize teenagers about dangers of early pregnancies, support teenage mothers out of their brokenness and empower them become self sustainable through livelihood and vocational skills development.
WHY WE EXIST
Uganda’s population comprises about 65% young people, making it the most youthful nation in the world. The government of Uganda has emphasized education for all through Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary education programs, however only 46% of children who enroll in primary one drop out of school before primary level. Factors contributing to school drop outs are social, economic, physical and psychological, among which is early pregnancy. Uganda Bureau of statistics states that Out of 1.2 million pregnancies in Uganda annually, 25percent are teenagers. It’s noted that one out of every four teenagers has given birth between the ages of 15-19 years. (UBOS 2009/10).
The Effects
Girls affected by teenage pregnancies face community shame, ridicule, discrimination, rejection, become prone to diseases such as fistula and sometimes face death at birth. Most of them cannot afford basic needs to raise their children and lose hope for their future, creating a generation of poverty.
How We Work
To bridge this gap, Smile Again Family Project, seeks to restore hope of the victims of teenage pregnancies and socially reintegrate them into the community, sensitize teenagers about dangers of early pregnancies, and empower them to become self sustainable through livelihood skills development.
OUR VISION
Our Vision is to create strong, sustainable and reliable families, holistically transforming society. This is what we exist for and would like to see it happen on a global scale.
OUR MISSION
To help disappointed, broken and suffering teenage mothers discover their inner worth by restoring them emotionally, economically and spiritually.
OUR OBJECTIVES
OUR MISSION HOUSE
