When young mums can read, they can better support their children. Lillian is one of Build Africa’s Community Based Trainers, working within our Change the Story project. She’s equipping young mums with the skills they need to give their children a better future.
My name is Lillian, and I work for Build Africa Uganda.
I always knew I wanted to help people, and so I joined Bweyale School of Nursing in Kiryandongo district, where I qualified as a Nursing Assistant 2013.
After school, I worked as a drug shop attendant for two years and then later opened my own small drug shop in 2016.
I also volunteer at Diika Health Centre II, where I dispense medicine and facilitate meetings among mothers on immunisation, breast feeding, nutrition, care and support of expectant and lactating mothers, and birth control. I do all the above with a smile and I am satisfied that I am offering service to my community - especially mothers.
In 2018, I applied for the position of Community Based Trainer, as part of Build Africa’s Change the Story project. What interested me most in applying for a CBT position was the aspect of working with mothers, something I have been doing at Diika Health Centre. I just said to myself, let me try out my luck, fortunately I was successful.
Change the Story is an initiative which is intending to empower women by training them with skills which are going to support them in improving their situation.
We are helping to teach mothers about the importance of nutrition and immunisation, as well as giving them literacy and numeracy skills. Change the Story also helps mothers and communitities appreciate the education of their children.
I am very positive about the set of activities that the project is going to engage young mothers in, and am glad that mothers will be empowered with knowledge.
The Change the Story Project is funded by UK Aid Match from the Department for International Development.