INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIRLS EVERYWHERE AT THE GIRL CHAMPION AWARDS 2025

This year’s Girl Champion Awards brought together passionate advocates, mentors, private sector, young girls, women, CSOs and leaders from across Uganda. The awards were more than an award ceremony, it was a movement celebrating courage, purpose and the limitless potential of girls. The awards are dedicated to recognizing girls who are making a tangible impact in their communities. They highlight creativity, leadership, determination and this year showcased girls who have turned their challenges into opportunities and dreams into actions.

For Raising Teenagers Uganda, being part of this event was both an honor and a reflection of our ongoing work on building confident, resilient and purpose driven girls who dare to lead. The awards reaffirmed the importance of nurturing leadership from an early age and created a space to amplify girls’ voices, highlight the transformative power of mentorship, advocacy and community support. RTU creates safe spaces for young people especially girls to learn, lead and thrive through our mentorship programs, advocacy campaigns and leadership initiatives that champion the rights and voices of teenage girls across Uganda.

The highlight of the day came when the guest of honor, Madam Jackie Asiimwe took the stage. Her approach to storytelling left the audience deeply moved as she began her speech not with data or achievements, but with a picture of ‘little Jackie’ her younger self during her time at Gayaza High School. That picture was not just an image, it was a symbol of growth, humility and perseverance. She used her story to show that leadership often begins in small, unseen moments of courage. She spoke candidly about her journey; the struggles she faced as a young girl and the lessons she learned along the way. She took a moment to appreciate the people who shaped her path including teachers, mentors and friends who believed in her even when she doubted herself. Their guidance she shared, gave her access to opportunities that transformed her life. Through mentorship and encouragement, she found direction, strength and confidence and these are the very same values that Raising Teenagers Uganda instils in the girls it mentors today. 

Throughout the event, one message stood tall, ‘the power of opportunity’. For the nominees, the awards were more than an event, they were a door opening to new possibilities. It reminded them that their voices matter and that their actions, no matter how small can lead to big changes. For most of them, it was the first time they had been celebrated publicly, and it gave them the courage to continue their work in their schools and communities, and this experience also helped them form new networks with mentors and fellow changemakers who could support their growth.

The Girl Champion Awards 2025 served as a powerful reminder that when we invest in girls, we invest in the future. Every girl empowered today becomes a woman who transforms tomorrow.

Compiled By Pillar Mbabazi