The loud slaps and harsh blows ring loud inside Jacob’s (not real name) mind, they even follow him to his paper-thin bed on some nights. Tonight, his mother and father are having another altercation. The neighbors in the other makeshift houses are opening doors and standing out in groups discussing their home situation in very loud whispers, but not making any move to help. Even Jacobs friends around Busia town have parents that fight at home, but he doesn’t think it normal.

“The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis” In commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child 2025,

About one million and four hundred thousand people are currently living with HIV in Uganda. Of all new infections, 29 percent were among adolescent girls

In Uganda’s slum communities, girls face a reality filled with daily struggles. Overcrowded homes, limited access to education, poverty, and unsafe public spaces make them