Alur Kingdom, MEMPROW and Girls First Fund Use Queen Mother’s Cup to Fight Teenage Pregnancy and Advance Girl-Child Rights

Zombo: The Alur Kingdom, in partnership with the Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW) and with support from the Girls First Fund, has intensified its community-based campaign against teenage pregnancy, child marriage and gender-based violence through girls’ sport.

The fifth edition of the Kopu P’min Ubimu (Queen Mother’s Cup), held on 17 October 2026 at Nyaravur Primary School playground in Nyaravur-Angal Town Council, Nebbi District, brought together girls’ sports teams from Jonam, Padyere and Okoro counties.

The football and netball gala aimed to strengthen social cohesion across the three counties while promoting education, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), leadership development and talent identification among adolescent girls.

Jonam emerged champions after a 1-0 victory over Okoro in the football final, while Padyere claimed the netball title.

Teams received cash prizes to strengthen the football teams so they can continue organizing and challenging norms on child marriages and early unions while building their talents.

The event was coordinated by MEMPROW, the Alur Kingdom Secretariat, district sports officers and football associations from Pakwach, Nebbi and Zombo.

MEMPROW facilitated discussions, organised teams and provided mentorship.The trophy handover was officiated by Alur Kingdom Executive Director Vincent Orach Ocaya.

Under the theme “Kick Barriers: Girls’ Football for Leadership, Health and Rights,” organisers used sport as an entry point for advocacy on teenage pregnancy, child marriage, HIV/AIDS, sexual and gender-based violence, mental health and school retention.

Stella Oyungrwoth, programme officer at MEMPROW, said that following Kopu P’min Ubimu, MEMPROW plans to strengthen follow-up engagement with chiefs, Ker Alur elders and other cultural leaders to promote accountability for the Kingdom’s commitments to ending child marriage and early unions and preventing violence against women and girls.

“We will continue to engage cultural leaders through regular meetings and community dialogues to assess progress, address emerging challenges and encourage the adoption of positive cultural practices. We also intend to strengthen the promotion of positive masculinity by engaging men and boys as active allies in protecting girls, challenging harmful gender norms and supporting women’s leadership,” Oyungrwoth said.

She added: “MEMPROW will continue working with schools, parents, community structures and relevant duty bearers to raise awareness about girls’ rights, sexual and reproductive health, and school retention.”

This year’s Kopu P’min Ubimu theme focused on breaking barriers affecting girls in leadership, health and rights.

MEMPROW’s key message was that every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, lead, enjoy good health and live free from violence, discrimination and harmful cultural practices.

Teenage pregnancy remains a pressing concern

 Zombo District data show the scale of the challenge. Between 2024 and 2025, 3,896 pregnancies were recorded among girls under 18 years, accounting for 26.7 per cent of 14,593 antenatal care visits, above the national average.

Nebbi District’s apparent teenage pregnancy rate stands at approximately 20 per cent, according to Vice Local Council V Chairperson Geoffrey Anecho.

Nationally, the 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey indicated that about 24 per cent of girls and young women aged 15–19 had begun childbearing (25 per cent in rural areas and 21 per cent in urban areas).

Adolescent pregnancy often leads to school dropout, economic vulnerability, stigma and heightened health risks, particularly where antenatal care is delayed.

The Queen Mother’s Cup was established to address the limited opportunities for girls within the kingdom’s traditional boys’ tournament, Kopu P’ubimu. It challenges gender norms that restrict girls’ participation in sport, education and community leadership.

Alur Kingdom Youth Team Leader Best Ayiorwoth has previously noted that the competition promotes inclusion and allows girls to excel in a traditionally male-dominated space.

The 2026 event attracted hundreds of community members and featured structured engagement and advocacy sessions.

MEMPROW’s ongoing support for girls and young women

Founded in 2008, MEMPROW mentors and empowers adolescent girls and young women, including those affected by child marriage, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy. Its programmes deliver SRHR education, leadership and life-skills training, psychosocial support and community engagement to challenge harmful gender norms and promote positive masculinity.

In West Nile, MEMPROW has supported child mothers with skills training, advanced girls’ education and worked with cultural, religious and community leaders. The organisation has reached more than 2,000 girls since 2008.

In 2020 the Alur Kingdom formally recognised its contributions to girl-child education and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Advocacy during the gala focused on increasing knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV prevention, ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy, and encouraging positive parenting. Peer support and adult counselling provided safe spaces for girls to discuss challenges and build resilience.

The kingdom also used the platform to promote Kura Matira, an Alur cultural philosophy emphasising upright conduct, respect, empathy, integrity and responsibility, while challenging practices that endanger children.

For lasting impact, partners stress the need to complement the annual tournament with ongoing mentorship, accessible health services, school-retention programmes, psychosocial support and pathways for talented girls in education and sport.

According to the Kingdom, the Queen Mother’s Cup positions girls not only as beneficiaries of protection programmes but as active agents in shaping their own futures and the development of the Alur community.

Over the last five years, MEMPROW has worked across Nebbi, Pakwach, Zombo and Arua, engaging child mothers, school clubs and communities to address violence against women and girls, teenage pregnancy, child marriage and barriers to girls’ education.

Through partnership with the Alur cultural institution, particularly the Ubimu, MEMPROW has continued to use cultural platforms to promote a violence-free society where women and girls are protected, respected and supported to achieve their full potential.

The annual coronation anniversary celebrations of the Ubimu, which attract people from across the Kingdom, have provided an important platform for raising awareness and advocating for the protection of women and girls.

This collaboration has strengthened community conversations around positive cultural practices, girls’ rights and the importance of keeping girls in school. While addressing teenage pregnancy and child marriage requires sustained collective action, working through the cultural institution helps reach communities with messages that are culturally relevant and more likely to influence attitudes and behaviours.

Together with the Alur Kingdom, MEMPROW continues to promote these priorities through community dialogues, barazas, fire chats, radio talk shows and other community engagement platforms. These initiatives encourage communities to embrace positive cultural practices, challenge harmful gender norms and support women and girls to participate meaningfully in leadership and decision-making.

“We are also advocating for improved access to sexual and reproductive health information and services for girls, alongside stronger community responsibility for preventing violence, teenage pregnancy, child marriage and early unions. The presence of women in leadership structures, including the Alur Kingdom cabinet, provides an important example of the role women can play in shaping community development,” Oyungrwoth noted.

The Kingdom, chiefs, Ker Alur elders, parents and community members have been called upon to champion the protection of the girl child and translate these commitments into practical action at family and community levels.

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