Tackling Taboos: EarlyBird256 Hosts Ask Without Shame Workshop to Provide Important Sex Education

Ask Without Shame (AWS) is a nonprofit organization based in Uganda that provides sexual reproductive health information to youth through mobile technology, coaching and community outreach. Importantly, they provide access to this information without any shame or judgment.

The organization was founded by Ruth Nabembezi, who grew up in an orphanage after losing her parents to AIDS. She witnessed the death of her sister Pamela, who did not receive adequate medical care for the disease. This motivated Ruth to pursue her life’s work of addressing the problem of shame and stigma around sex education. Ruth developed the Sex-Education App and text-message service when she joined the Social Innovation Academy (SINA). Currently, Ask Without Shame serves thousands of youth.

We partnered with the organization to ensure that our EarlyBird256 Squad was aware that sex education was a topic we were comfortable discussing in our space. This workshop was inspired by our I AM WELLNESS Affirmation, which creates a safe space to promote the wellness of our community.

Sex is considered a taboo subject in many African communities. Many youth, especially girls who have been abused or raped, suffer in silence due to fear of stigmatization. Moreover, the Anti-LGBTQ law recently passed by the Ugandan Government reinforces the shame that some people may feel. The information about what to do in emergency situations can have a significant impact on someone’s life and how they cope with that trauma. This is why organizations like Ruth’s Ask Without Shame are vital because they offer free guidance and counseling services to youth anonymously via SMS and voice calls.

In the areas where EarlyBird256 operates, the estimated number of young people who get married before the age of 18 exceeds 46%. Research shows that the main cause for such high rates of child marriage is the lack of access to education and health services. Early marriages destroy the dreams of thousands of young girls and boys in the communities we work in.

The workshop was a success, as evidenced by the high level of engagement and curiosity from our students. They actively participated and raised relevant questions. In order to foster empathy and understanding, we also provided a separate space for the boys to discuss some of the health issues that affect girls. We are grateful to Ruth and the ASW team for their collaboration and support, and we look forward to working with them in the future as we develop the EarlyBird256 space. We also invite anyone who is interested in sponsoring a workshop for our students to contact us.