Warning: This video may be disturbing, but it’s worth watching to discover the reality that so many girls live with every day.

Just Like My Child Foundation has partnered with an amazing Ugandan woman named Nyiraguhabwa Monica, who is an expert in equipping young girls with life skills and counseling that will empower them for the rest of their lives.

We had an awesome workshop over the weekend with Monica at Namumira Primary School, which is the community where Just Like My Child Foundation is currently building a much needed classroom block, teachers housing and pit latrines.

Girls empowerment activities are absolutely necessary deep in the village where these girls are often placed in devastating situations and don’t otherwise have any counseling or support. The girls of Namumira ranging in ages 10 to 15 were incredibly engaged and open with Monica! You could see that they clearly looked to her as a guide and a role model. A few major issues came out in this particular training that Monica was able to address. Many of the girls come from a trading center near the school where truck drivers and construction workers are staying while the road is being repaired.

This factor in connection with the fact that there are several discos in the trading center where these men are drinking alcohol, raping and in one case killing a young girl has created a terrible set of circumstances. We learned through the workshop that most of the girls are already really effective decision makers and have managed so far not to be exploited or become victims of peer pressure.

Monica encouraged them to stay on that path and gave them strategies for avoiding risky situations and identifying people who wish to take advantage of them. She equipped them with skills that would allow them to display their confidence and demand respect in order to keep themselves safe.

This group was also struggling with menstruation, which prompted Monica to facilitate a comprehensive session on puberty and menstruation. Private counseling sessions are also given by Monica at the end of the sessions to ensure the girls have an opportunity to express any serious issues that they might be embarrassed to bring up in a group setting. Just Like My Child Foundation in partnership with Nyiraguhabwa Monica will be facilitating twelve similar workshops throughout the year in communities where vulnerable girls will become empowered for life!