Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / AFRICA
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
14:23 GMT, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:23 UK

Uganda virgins offered university

Ugandan schoolgirls

A Ugandan MP is raising funds to send virgins to university for free.

Sulaiman Madada says he wants to encourage schoolgirls to be morally upright and avoid early marriages.

"We do not want these girls to get exposed to Aids," he told the Associated Press. Uganda is often held up as a model of how to fight HIV/Aids.

Infection rates have fallen from 15% to 5% but critics say this could now rise because the government is promoting abstinence, rather than safe sex.

The call for abstinence in fighting HIV/Aids is backed by religious groups and Uganda's first lady Janet Museveni, who supports a campaign for young Ugandans to pledge abstinence until marriage.

Only girls in Kayunga district who pass a virginity test will qualify for the bursary, which will start next year.

Kayunga, in central Uganda, has one of the highest HIV/Aids infection rates in the country.

"I believe this bursary will make a difference," Mr Madada told the AFP news agency.

"I have contacted some NGOs and well-wishers to join me in this."

The number of scholarships will depend on his fundraising efforts, he said.



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:
The battle over Uganda's Aids campaign (12 Apr 05 |  Africa )
Uganda 'not dropping' Aids condom (30 Mar 05 |  Africa )
Uganda to run short of condoms (13 Dec 04 |  Africa )
Call for Ugandan virgin census (02 Dec 04 |  Africa )
Uganda's HIV success questioned (21 Sep 04 |  Africa )
Uganda turns back the Aids tide (02 Dec 03 |  Africa )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Uganda Parliament
Government of Uganda
The Aids Support Organisation (TASO)
Uganda Aids Commission
UNAids
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©