Arua Diocese

Bishop Sabino addresses a concerning trend, discouraging mothers from hindering young girls' education by assigning them to babysit.

Bishop Sabino Ocan Odoki addresses a pressing issue, urging parents, particularly mothers in Aripea Parish, to refrain from indering their young daughters' education by assigning them the role of babysitting siblings. Noting a significant drop in the enrollment of girls in primary schools, the Bishop attributed this decline to domestic responsibilities. Bishop called for a collaborative endeavors to ensure the education of both boys and girls, while also discouraging boys from abandoning education for labor, citing the increasingly competitive world.

The Bishop expressed his concern, sharing that he has always inquired about the decline in girls' attendance. The response he received indicated that girls especially those in lower primary might have been kept at home to babysit, leading to their absence and those in primary six and seven were posibly child parents or have dropped out.

He urged all stakeholders, including government bodies, organizations, and churches, to contribute to securing a bright future for the children. The Bishop called upon everyone to prioritize the education of girls, emphasizing their role in shaping the nation. Bishop acknowledged hearing about the boy children being enticed to work in sugar plantations around the country calling upon the boys not to accept such offers and proritize education or skill training due to the increasing competitiveness of the world.

In his address, Bishop appealed for vocations for priesthood and religious life. He encouraged Aripea Christians to focus on promoting vocations in thisbyear of 2024. Emphasizing the Catholic population in Arua Diocese to be the largest in Uganda with 2,500,000 Catholics across 62 parishes