Genext: Small Families' Advocacy Campaign

According to the campaign, a smaller population will guarantee better health and education, better jobs, money for food, and quality of life for children. The project is working to:

• change the mindset of rural communities, political leaders, and the country as whole to value small family size;
• create a supportive and enabling environment for people to understand the need for family planning and how it will improve the quality of life;
• create a wake-up revolution among those who want to adopt family planning;
• generate adequate demand for family planning services and commodities within communities; and
• increase the user base for family planning methods and thus increase contraceptive use.

The campaign links into the ongoing "Good Life" initiative, which encourages people to view health choices as a part of what can help create the good life they are seeking. The concept of the Gennext campaign is to develop a movement through a group of Good Life activists who can be mobilised to stand up for a Good Life (small families). The ambassadors are encouraged to advocate to tribal leaders, religious leaders, politicians, parents, community members, and the media. They can get on talk shows on radio and TV and can be featured in newspapers and magazines. The campaign also encourages youth to spread the word through online social media. Genext ambassadors are encouraged to talk to fellow youth, follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the campaign’s YouTube channel.

According to UHMG, this movement needs to be loud and bold to get attention and at times may seem rebellious - an appeal to the rebellious nature of youth. There is even a possibility of involving secondary school students through partnering with organisations that work in that area.

Reproductive Health

According to UHMG, trends show that, on average, every Ugandan woman will have at least 7 children in her lifetime. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics shows that: there are only 265,700 jobs each year for youth leaving tertiary institutions; 650,000 homes can only have one meal a day; and there is just 1 doctor for almost 25,000 patients. The current population growth outpaces development and therefore creates pressure for land, jobs, shelter, and many more needs.