Capacity Building and Learning Products: Creating Scalable Models for Change
At Girls Not Brides Uganda (GNBU), we are committed to generating evidence-based learning products and strengthening the capacity of our members to ensure our interventions are both impactful and replicable. By documenting what works, we are creating a roadmap for ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy across the country.
Evidence-Based Advocacy: The 2025 Issue Paper
During the last reporting period, GNBU developed a comprehensive Issue Paper under the theme: “The cost of inaction to address the root causes of Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy in Uganda.” This document highlights critical data—such as the fact that 34% of girls in Uganda marry before age 18 and 1,000 teenage girls conceive daily.
Presented at the 8th National Girl Summit on November 25, 2025, this paper served as a catalyst for solution-based discussions and high-level commitments. A corresponding press statement was released and featured across television, radio, and digital platforms to ensure these realities reached the national stage.
Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) for Empowerment
To foster behavioral change and enhance public knowledge, GNBU produced and disseminated a wide range of learning and promotional products, including:
- Educational Materials: Policy briefs, case studies, and IEC materials (posters, flyers, and banners) that educate the public on the National Strategy to End Child Marriage (2022/23–2026/27) and the National Child Policy (2020).
- Engagement Tools: Branded materials such as marathon vests, T-shirts, lapel badges, and notebooks used during regional and national summits to raise awareness and promote legal rights.
- Digital Advocacy: Online event promotional videos and banners designed to encourage mindset change and community engagement.
Capturing Qualitative Impact: Stories of Change
Beyond numbers, GNBU is focusing on the human element of our work. We have launched a collection of “Most Significant Change” stories—personal journeys and transformation stories from survivors and member organizations.
- The Goal: These stories will be compiled into a “Stories of Change” booklet (available in print and digital) to be showcased at major platforms.
- The Impact: By capturing qualitative transformations at the grassroots level, we aim to inspire action, demonstrate real-life progress in policy and behavior, and provide a tool for future fundraising and partnership coordination.
Strengthening the Partnership
These learning products are not just for awareness; they are tools for capacity building. The comprehensive version of our issue brief, alongside summit reports, is being used to:
- Track Commitments: Follow up on promises made by stakeholders and government officials.
- Capacitate Members: Equip GNBU members with the data and resources needed to lobby for community empowerment effectively.
- Promote Replicable Models: By sharing success stories and policy briefs, we enable our 145+ member organizations to adopt and scale proven interventions in their respective regions.
Through these initiatives, GNBU is ensuring that every member and stakeholder is an informed agent of change, equipped with the knowledge to turn national strategies into local realities.
