Tizaru Peace & Her Mission to Empower Teenage Mothers with Knowledge & Skills

Aura, Uganda witnessed a surge in school dropouts and teen pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During that period, Tizaru Peace was a student, completing her internship with UN Women Uganda. Here, “I saw firsthand how widespread teenage pregnancy had become and the stigma and limited opportunities that many young mothers faced, explains Tizaru. 

Tizaru and her co-founder understood that the young mothers they met had aspirations for the future, but they lacked pathways to continue their education or build independent lives. They asked themselves, “What could we do to support these young women?”, and thus was born Hope Peace Gift of Life (HPGL). 

The goal was simple, but layered: support teenage mothers to re-enter formal education or informal skills training, equipping them to educate,  develop skills, fulfil their aspirations and break the cycle of poverty. 

At the core of the intervention is a mix of vocational skills training, which includes tailoring, weaving, plumbing, baking, and agriculture, along with comprehensive sexuality and reproductive rights education. The foundation also offers a leadership and mentorship program.

Since its inception, HPGL has reached 200 girls. The roadmap to this achievement is structured and collaborative. It begins with building relationships with key community figures, including local community leaders, village chairmen, who help team HPGL gain access to the teenage mothers, followed by providing a safe space for them to share their needs. 

The team then approaches with a mother-centric design by identifying their needs, designing activities and developing support plans. 

In her journey of growing HPGL, Tizaru describes the transformative role of the Girl-Centered Incubator. "We were able to have an approach that actively involves girls in creating programmes and finding solutions that work for them — their voices have been heard,” she explains. At the organisational level, HPGL increased its networks and partnerships. 

For Tizaru, the fellowship parted with lifelong confidence and clarity to empower more and more girls.