Awareness raising of Youths and Primary School Children in the 5 divisions of Kampala.

This project funded by Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) and implemented by the youth team of URRENO has been ongoing since (April 2023 – March 2024) focusing on promoting Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Infrastructure Usage in Kampala and sensitizing people on the realities road users face on Ugandan roads. The project engaged youth from 5 divisions of Kampala (Makindye, Nakawa, Kawempe, Rubaga & Central) together with youth leaders/mobilisers from each division then went ahead to raise awareness of 9 primary schools about road safety and Non-Motorized Transport.

The youth team shared basic road safety information with the students, teaching and telling them what they should do when moving to and from school so as to be responsible road users. “We must protect our young ones because they are the future of tomorrow… One of the ways [this can be done is by] making sure the children are equipped with knowledge about road safety to safeguard the vulnerable road users from road crashes” said the Youth team leader Edmond Atwine.

Apart from the discussions on road safety to pupils, they also presented information about non-motorized transport and road safety to youth and adolescents of the area who had access to bicycles, motorcycles and other vehicles. They localized the discussion by using examples in Uganda, which include motorist encroachment on NMT facilities and the lack of pedestrian footpaths in the area.

To introduce these issues to youth in the area, the team welcomed open discussions with participants. The project’s primary goal is to sensitize people to the realities road users face on Ugandan roads and influence NMT policy reviews in the city.