Lilliane Babirye
2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Act 4 Teen MothersUganda
Lilliane Babirye is the founder and board chairperson of the Young Women Coalition, an organization that advocates for the socioeconomic rights of teen mothers and young women in Uganda. She is also the founder and executive director of the Network of Women in Politics, a national organization that creates a nonpartisan platform for women in politics to amplify their voices. Lilliane is the founder of Babirye Cares Foundation, which is a charitable organization in Entebbe. She is an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Visitors Program through the World Learning Centre. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in women and development studies, and a post-graduate diploma in public administration, financial management and human rights. She is a human rights activist, a freelance counselor and a gender equity expert with over 10 years of experience.
IVLP Impact Award Project: ACT 4 TEEN MOTHERS
The Act 4 Teen Mothers project supported 100 teenage mothers who faced school closures, household poverty and sexual violence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to secure the physical well-being and socio-economic futures of teen mothers who currently face gender-based violence and HIV/AIDs in areas around Lake Victoria such as Bussi Island, Musooli landing site, Busambaga, Nakiwogo, Lwamunyu Island and Katabi Busamabaga. Additionally, 20 trainers, 15 council leaders, 5 village chairpersons and a member of 2 partner organizations participated in the project.
The project's focal implementation areas are the identification and training of change agents or trusted community members to act as foot soldiers who identify teen mothers; the documentation and dissemination of transformative stories on teenage motherhood; open communal talks and the creation of change circles for teen mothers and media and grassroots campaigns that aim to end the stigmatization of teen motherhood. The project prepared young women to get back to school and trained others to start small income-generating activities to create economic activity. 22 teen mothers decided to continue their education, 6 gained employment, 8 started small businesses, and others were reunited with family because of the project.
"I had dropped my dream of going back to school, but my future is now bright." - Project Participant
IVLP Exchange Experience
Lilliane was a participant in the IVLP Project Ending Gender-Based Violence, organized by the U.S. Department of State and FHI 360.
U.S. Communities Visited Virtually
Washington, DC; New Orleans, LA; Boston, MA; Raleigh, NC; Burlington, VT