Virginity, Violence, and Children of God: A Compilation of Messaging in Ugandan Primary Schools
TW: rape, child prostitution, violence against children.
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There were many things I was not expecting to see which caught me off guard in Uganda, but the most interesting (and at times, the most horrifying) was the messaging and signage found around the local primary schools partnered with the charity I was working with. I am not here to give an opinion about this messaging, most of which has been mandated by the Ugandan government for various reasons, but rather I intend to showcase some of the themes present around school campuses due to how different they are compared to what I have experienced in a Western education system. The messages also reflect some of the difficult issues facing children living in Uganda.
For context, the image above is a perfect example of the signs placed all around primary school campuses local to the region I was working in. They range from everything from the importance of education, nutrition, conservation, to other themes I will cover below. In Kasiisi Primary School, I would estimate there were around 20-30 of these signs found on the site. They are intended to share important and motivating messages to children, such as the above image reading "Succeed in Life", but some address more critical and sensitive issues.
2. Children have cried to the government in order to get help against rapists."
One feature was the presence of so many messages regarding virginity, namely encouraging abstinence. What was shocking to me was not only the mature nature of the theme being displayed to children as young as 6-7 (in Scotland, sex education is not taught until secondary school), but the necessity for such strong messaging in a primary school in the first place. Teenage pregnancy is a major issue in local schools which relates to the lack of substantial sex education in the curriculum; this may partially explain the promotion of flat-out abstinence. Sadly, sexual abuse against children from family members was noted as a massive problem during the pandemic, and it also increased teenage pregnancy. Although I did not capture a photo of it, several signs were directed at young mothers and covered issues such as breastfeeding and nutrition for young infants. Furthermore, 13% of the population has HIV - over 1 in 10 - which is likely a major factor in the abstinence messaging also
What was interesting is how these messages are blended in casually with lighter messages such as "Respect Yourself" or "Eat More Vegetables". The need for a sign discouraging money or gifts in exchange for sex was particularly disturbing, but the worst was not actually a sign but rather a school lesson. As we entered a classroom to record students for a promotional video, I noticed that the examples the teacher had selected for using 'so as' and 'in order' in sentences were about rape against children. I am unsure of the reasoning for such disturbing imagery in a simple english lesson, but this certainly stood out to me as one of the most horrifying examples of the sensitive themes found in primary schools.
The second surprising theme worthy of comment is the rather potent religious messaging. Uganda is a very strongly Christian nation (with a minority muslim population of 13% according to the last census), and everyone is assumed to worship god and practice religion. Religion plays a strong role in education, featuring in school mottos, the classroom, and in the names of many schools (not unlike elsewhere in the world). Yet, I was taken aback by some of the statements on the signs - such as "You Are a Child of God" - which would be rather out of place in a UK school.
I noticed "G for Gun" on the first day of my residence at the primary school. Not only is this rather curious word choice for a display on a children's school to teach the alphabet, but this was featured on a pre-school for very young children. This exposure to violence, even if it's subtle, can be read into in terms of the differences of security and shelteredness from violence these children must experience. Although I do not wish to go into much detail about it, the ADF attack on a boarding school in West Uganda, which saw dozens of young children being murdered by terrorists using machetes, explosives, and fire, occurred during my stay in Kasiisi, around 75km down the DRC border. This was a major news story in Uganda, but violent incidents and loss of life is not uncommon, so the story sizzled out after a short amount of time. The effect this must have on the minds of young people and their parents is hard to think about.
I was fortunate enough to conduct academic research under the supervision of Stephen Gethins, former MP and Professor of Practice in International Relations at the University of St Andrews. Stephen introduced me to a truly fascinating yet often overlooked area of International Relations: sub-state and regional actors and their place in global politics, with a focus on Scotland in particular. Through this, I have developed an interest in Scotland's place in the world as a nation without an independent foreign office, but as a nation with extensive international influence and a powerful global diaspora. This topic formed the basis of my Laidlaw project, my undergraduate dissertation, a forthcoming article, and my future research.
In my second year of university, I founded The Drew, an online student publication based in St Andrews which publishes articles on Scottish politics and culture. There was an unfortunate lack of Scottish issues being discussed in St Andrews (despite bearing the name of Scotland's patron saint and being home to Scotland's most ancient university), and so The Drew was set up to help foster more discussion.
I take a keen interested in other academic fields such as politics, history, and philosophy. Although an International Relations student first and foremost, I had the opportunity of studying Ancient History and Classics alongside my degree for two years. If I were to ever win the lottery, you would find me endlessly cycling University, spending my remaining days studying Ancient History and Philosophy, Politics, Anthropology, Theology, Theoretical Physics and Maths, or whatever subject I develop an interest in down the line.
I am always keen to discuss my own research area and learn about others'.
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