Brenda Neumbe is a practicing social worker and information technologist by qualification and not to forget, a mother of two. She is an alumnus of the G4G Concern for the Girlchild (which fosters girlchild education) cohort in Uganda. Now the Chairperson of the Big Sisters Foundation, Brenda has plans to give back to her community with the lessons she’s learned from G4G.
Four years ago, with my volunteer mentality, I walked into Concern for the Girlchild, a nonprofit based in Uganda that fosters girlhood education — there my social work career manifested and unfolded.
Concern for the Girlchild Executive Director, Catherine Opondo introduced three of us to G4G in December 2018. At that time, I remember our girls had several issues ranging from low self-esteem to dropping out of school. Our biggest problem here was teenage pregnancy. We were being overwhelmed each term with new cases of girls getting pregnant or simply running away and deliberately refusing to go to school. Even though the fees were readily available, ultimately, the girls seemed not to be interested.
We met with and explained our concern for the girls to Allen Asiimwe, G4G Co-Founder and Global Lead for G4G Africa. We were in need of a solution. Allen together with her team Diana and Prossy, started a G4G cohort at Concern for the Girlchild head offices in Ntinda, Uganda shortly after. Since our G4G cohort started, we have not registered any pregnancy cases. The girls in our program have been engaged in different activities to build their esteem and boost their confidence. There has been a humongous change in the girls’ attitude towards our programs.
The positive changes did not just stop with Concern for the Girlchild. G4G also had an impact on my personal life. My personal growth has been tremendous! I have started working intentionally with my talent, the things I love such as singing, dancing and art. I also committed myself to taking a vital decision to flee an abusive relationship which I identified after going through the G4G program. Once I defined the kind of relationship I wanted to see, I wouldn’t settle for anything less. My mental, physical and emotional well-being was key for me to thrive. As a mother of two, my dream is to become the best mother that inspires my children and brings out the best in them.
I wish to see this transformation in all girls, so I decided to redefine my life goals to support this journey of change whenever possible. With my colleagues, we will run a club at the main office of Concern for the Girlchild to inspire girls to find their passion and reach for their careers. I will continue to use the lessons I learned with G4G to encourage young girls to dream bigger and aspire higher.
