David is a teacher in the church of Saint Helena, in the Mayu region in East Uganda. He and his wife have four daughters and one son. He has become a strong advocate of women's rights in his community, but it has not always been so.
David grew up in a culture where he couldn't imagine taking a stand on a woman's affairs. On the outside, it looked like all couples lived in harmony, but women in bad marriages suffered in silence.
When he got married, David first decided to raise a traditional family. In time, however, he began to realize that this could not be the case. He could not raise his daughters and teach them that a woman has a lower position in society than a man.
Now, David is working in a local women's organization to support the community's well-being. This year he was involved in a project promoting women's rights, led by the United Religions Initiative – Great Lakes Africa region. It is up to David to maintain contact with members of the various religions and to gather local residents in community meetings that discuss women's rights and what can be done together, as a community.
Thanks to Filantropia Ry for telling us about this story.
