Odoch sculptures the pain of the girl-child in Northern Uganda

Using his artistic skills, Gideon Odoch has for a long time sculptured his heart to the world in a bid to make some of his feelings known.

In his latest art piece, Odoch reflects on the challenges faced by the girl-child in the Lango sub region in Northern Uganda.

The piece made out of recycled materials has a hoe as a gardening tool that represents how women are looked at for full duties and labour in farms and garden works other than ensuring they attain education.

“For many in my home area, a good girl is one who performs best in the garden and this means education is not considered a priority for the girl-child,” Odoch explains.

The piece also has two ladies, one of them pregnant, and this he says signifies challenges like child pregnancy as a result of several negative events like forced marriages, defilement, illiteracy, peer pressure, among others.

Another girl is depicted wearing a mini skirt facing similar challenges such as prostitution, rape that have hindered her right to education.

 On top of the art piece is another girl holding a key to signify that she has attained full and quality education to enable her tobconquer the world.

“She holds a four sided bearing (engine part) to signify the power to change the world directions into a better place due to her success and then the Sony Ericsson GPRS card modem on her skirt represents the technological advances she has attained and is willing to use them as a tool to shine on the same light of her success to her fellow girl children,” Odoch says of his sculpture.

He says he was motivated to sculpt the piece after reflecting on some of the challenges that the girl-child in the Lango sub region in Northern Uganda face.

He says that the challenges are universal to girls around the country and hence the need to be highlighted.

“For many years in Uganda as a whole, girls did not enjoy the privilege of attending university. Several efforts have been put in place and have greatly changed this trend but more is still needed,” he says.