Marjorie Sseruwo is the new Executive Director for Concern for the Girl Child (CGC), a Child-focused Non-Government Organization in Uganda.
In a One-on-One with CEO East Africa Magazine, Sseruwo talks about her social interest in causes, her passion for girl-child empowerment and what government can do better especially for the rural chid education.
Take us through your Background and Social Interest in Causes and Why CGC
I am 43 years old, born and bred in Kampala, Uganda. I am the 4th child of 6 children and as a child I grew up in a loving and warm home. I went to fairly good schools in both Primary and Secondary and then joined Makerere University Business School for my Bachelors in Catering and Hotel Management and later on to the School of Business Leadership –University of South Africa for my Masters in Business Leadership.
I started out in my career as an employee immediately after university in 2002 as a Guest Service Agent at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel where I learned practical customer service and people skills. I went on to work in the IT industry in AITEC Uganda, an organization that organized IT Events and conferences and promoted ICTs for development in Uganda as a Business Development Executive. I got exposed to the possibility of ICT improving the lives of an average and vulnerable Ugandan in different facets such as Agriculture, Education and Business. My turning point however as an employee was in a child based organization, when I had the privilege of being mentored by a very influential person in the history of Uganda, Marilyn Skinner then a director of Watoto Child Care Ministries. Given the nature of work I was involved in as a Childcare/ Sponsorship coordinator, my role involved taking on leadership at its core, as I had to model to the children under my care as well as lead the sponsorship teams in generating sponsorship for the children. I have since gone on to build, strengthen and model leadership and character to those below me in my other subsequent workplaces. I later joined CGC as in 2008 where I served in the capacity of volunteer – Information and Documentation, M&E Programmes Officer and then Fundraising and Resource Mobilization.
I have since been drawn to addressing the needs of vulnerable girls and communities and in this capacity continued to work with children as a Behavior Change Agent as an etiquette and life skills coach in schools (Vine International Christian Academy, Orchards and the North Green Schools). I have further supported FHK Foundation, a family founded organization with steering their skilling department and High Tea Classical concerts to fundraise for children with Cancer.
CGC is at the core of my heart having been founded by my father the late Freddie Henry Kasozi together with Dr. Ann F Hayes. I have been involved right from its inception and have watched the organization grow into a reputable and impactful one. I return to CGC with diverse exposure, skills and perspective from the different engagements and believe I will add value to strategic direction of the organization.
Briefly explain the CGC Achievements and Strategy
The Organization’s vision is a world where all people are contributing to the social, economic and political development of their communities. Our Mission is to protect, respect and fulfill the rights of vulnerable children and young people, through the provision of education and skills development, health, child protection, economic empowerment and psychological support in partnership with communities, government and civil society in Uganda.
Airtel Africa and SpaceX Announce Strategic Partnership to Launch Starlink Direct to Cell Connectivity Across AfricaThe Founders having realized the extreme marginalization of the girl child at the time of inception, deemed it fit to focus their energy on the girl child. With the aim of bridging the gender disparity. The organization begun with 2 partner schools in Luwero and Kampala where community members such as local leaders and teachers helped to identify 15 beneficiaries within the communities. To-date CGC prides in impacting the lives of 1000 girls and their families within the communities of Luwero, Nakaseke and Kampala in Nakawa Division, 551 graduates of who 60% are gainfully employed and over 35000 children and their families impacted through child protection and economic empowerment projects over the past 20 years.
What has been the Impact of the pandemic and the likely impact, present and future on CGC and generally the girl-child
This seasons brings a twist to our interventions seeing that the COVID 19 pandemic has rendered the period unprecedented and unpredictable for school going children of which 90% of our beneficiaries are. Our beneficiaries have for the longest time during this pandemic had difficulty accessing formal education, rendering them redundant and susceptible to exploitation (Child Marriage, early pregnancy, child labour, e.t.c.) as result. It has further affected the prospective funding that would otherwise support our programmes. The lack of mobility and physical interventions have further limited our implementation especially to do with psychosocial interventions in the communities and the homes.
CGC has embarked on embracing the change – new normal through integrating ICT, the use of webinars to continue with our interactions with the girls especially those at the higher institutes of learning that are able to access gadgets and computers. Resilience talks where girls are encouraged and mentored are held every so often. We are currently running a free online literacy programme that we are slowly rolling out to our beneficiaries in the remote areas through our community resource centres that are equipped with computers and are close enough for the girls to walk to. We have further embarked on skilling the girls while practicing the SOPs to enable them continue with informal education. We are also looking at establishing sustainable projects (A state of the art Vocational Institution) that will stand the test of time in equipping the beneficiaries and communities with the will to achieve our desired goal of empowerment.
What are the areas of Concern where stakeholder support is needed?
With the above concerns in mind, we call upon the stakeholders, in the public and private sectors and the international donor community to support our initiatives especially regarding the State of the Art Vocational Institute that is yet to be established n Luwero – Nakazzi, the equipping of Resource Centres with more computers and other readable materials that will serve not only our girls but also other children in these remote communities that have little or no access to formal education.
In regard to the regulatory environment, what does government need to do to further empower the vulnerable girl child?
We appreciate the government efforts in making the environment conducive for Concern for the Girl Child and other Civil Society Organizations to thrive and serve communities thus contributing to the development of our country Uganda. We call upon the government to look into the issue of access to education for the rural child whose access to Computers, gadgets let alone electricity is limited or even non-existent.
