According to Uganda Media Women’s Association over 40% of marriages in Uganda end up in separation. Most families/marriages in Uganda can be summed up as “UNHAPPY”. Polygamy, adultery, materialism, breakdown of the traditional values, adoption of the global culture and the general degeneration of our morals as a society are some of the factors that are contributing to the breakdown of the family institution in Uganda.

The immediate victims of the breakdown of the family institution are the children, who in many cases are neglected by busy parents. Many of the parents have passed on the responsibility of giving guidance and support to their children, to schools, religious institutions, the media, peers of their children and to whoever else happens to be available. This has exposed children to all sorts of dangers making them extremely vulnerable to exploitation and abuses such as incest, rape, defilement, diseases etc.

These neglected, exploited and abused children suffer emotional/psychological pain, which usually leads to low self-esteem. It also contributes to poor academic performance, negative behavior including hooliganism and causes the children to be easy prey for premarital sex, deviant sexual behavior and addiction to things like pornography, alcohol, drugs and substance abuse. This explains why Uganda has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the World. (World Health Organization (WHO) report).

Apart from the title, this entire excerpt is from

 Family Life Network

Stephen Langa (0772-476071)

Executive Director

Family Life Network