At 17, Grace (not real name) is expected to be preparing for her Ordinary Level national examinations next year. But this hope now hangs in balance. She is now three months pregnant and can no longer attend school.

She has stumbled while in Senior Three, a year shy of completion of her O’Levels. It will take her about a year and half to bounce back to school, and this is only if she is lucky enough for the system to take her back. 

Grace’s story mirrors a much bigger picture of Wakiso district, where teenage pregnancy stands as high as 28%, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).