Life Skills Education and Counseling - Mpumiro - Mpumiro Primary School

Visit by Lorna Katagara on 2021-11-15

Report ID
14908
Created by
Lorna Katagara
Created date
2021-11-16 08:57:21 UTC
Modified by
Lorna Katagara
Modified date
2021-11-16 09:52:58 UTC
Trip Time
11:41-17:10 (5 h 29 m)
Village Time
12:00-15:15 (3 h 15 m)
Travel Time
2 h 14 m

Life Skills Education and Counseling community lesson

School
Mpumiro Primary School 
Lesson Taught
Relationship Skills: Gender Roles 
Girls Attended
Boys Attended
Total Student Attendance
Teachers Attended
Fathers Attended
Mothers Attended
13 
Total Parent Attendance
18 
Staff Attendees
Lorna Katagara 
Government Attendees
LC1 
School Staff Attendees
Class Teacher 
Visitor Attendees
Parish counselor 
Total Attendance
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, community members know what Bride Price is.
Notes
Previously in Naibowa, we looked at the Gender roles and responsibilities of a woman, man and children. In today’s meeting we had the honor of having the Parish counselor with us. Wakiso started today’s meeting by welcoming everybody and specifically the Parish counselor for attending today’s meeting. He appreciated her for sparing time to attend the meeting. He also mentioned to the counselor what Life Skills program is about and reviewed a bit of the lessons that have already been taught. After that he asked the community members what the last topic was that was taught. Nabirye mentioned a Gender roles and responsibilities and we saw ; building, working , grazing , lead , provide , protect for the men while cooking, planning, sweeping, fetching firewood , nursing children, instilling discipline in children among others. After this he thanked the community members and welcomed the chairman to welcome the parish counselor. The parish counselor was very happy about the projects that have been done in this village by Kibo. She thanked Lorna for the work done through Kibo. After this she welcomed Lorna to teach the lesson for today. Lorna thanked all the previous speakers as well as the counselor for coming to today’s lesson. She asked them who was responsible for buying clothes for the family and both women and men said men. Lorna asked do they buy them clothes and the women said no. However they said it’s a mans responsibility and the men agreed. Lorna encouraged the men to buy clothes for their children as well as their wives and not just on special days but as need arises. Mwase mentioned the reason they don’t buy clothes for them anymore is because women work these days and so they get to buy themselves clothes but Lorna mentioned that this should not stop them as men from buying clothes, knickers for their family members. In today’s lesson however, we looked at Bride Price. Lorna mentioned that we were going to have a debate looking at the Advantages and disadvantages of Bride Price. Lorna also mentions that we are going to look at the busoga culture for instance what was required to take before a girl is married. We started by defining Bride price as the money, gift, that a man intending to marry a woman takes to the family of the woman or bride and this is decided by the parents of the girls. Lorna went on and mentioned that today we see different families asking for different bride price which is scaring off some men from getting married. Lorna asked the community how and what is required in Busoga culture. Jane said in Busoga the mans family writes a letter informing the woman’s family of the marriage intentions and after that the family responds with the bride price required. During this time there friends to the groom that are monitoring the girls family and indeed agree that this was a good family. On the bride price asked there is 2 cows at most, traditional wear of Kanzus , Gomesis, goats, chicken among others. Previously this was done when the bride was a virgin which is not the case these days. Lorna thanked Jane for the explanation and we divided the group into 2 where we looked at is it right to pay bride price or no . We had proposers and opposers. The proposers had the most people who were supporting Bride price and some of their reasons were; Paying Bride Price brings pride to the girl as well as the family , They also mentioned that it adds value to the woman among her peers, it promotes friendship between two families, a sign of honor to the girls family , it’s a form of appreciation , it shows the man is capable of taking care of the woman. On the opposers side, one man started by asking the women whom of them was “bought” or rather given bride price?. Only 2 women put up their hands . This made the lesson a bit shaky but it was good so that men are encouraged to do so if they did not. we saw that paying bride price gives the man ownership of the woman she becomes like the mans property which breeds domestic violence, they mentioned that paying bride price is like buying life or rather Wakiso compared to slavery. They mentioned women who are “bought” demand so much , have a sense on entitlement. They mentioned that it brings about theft , poverty since men are trying to fulfill the bride price demanded among others. In conclusion , Lorna mentioned that Bride Price should not be in itself as if buying a commodity. She mentioned that first our mindset should change about it. She mentioned it should rather be in form of Appreciation to the girls family for proper upbringing of the Woman. To show respect towards the woman’s family. Also that the families should be considerate in what they demand because it scares away suitors or men who want to get married, also it’s what sometimes brings about domestic violence and polygamy. Lorna discouraged parents from giving away their daughters desperately for marriage because they are malicious and hungry for wealth. Bride price doesn’t not tie to it that one is now in control of another human being but rather appreciative. 
Next Visit
2021-11-22 - Purpose: Introduce Decision making
Program Success
N/A
Program Critical Needs
Decision Making Skills
Program Ownership
Other Program Observations
The community is using their stoves
Program Expected Of Village
Come in big numbers
Program Staff Preparations Next Visit
Call prior and prepare notes for the next meeting
 

Report Photos

23707 Wakiso explaining the disadvantages of Bride Price
23710 Still on the topic of bride price, the lady on the right was explaining how bride price brought pride to the family of the bride.
23713 The parish counselor explaining bride price in the bus of a culture