Charity was inspired to create this painting because, as a woman, she encountered the attitude that a woman is always at fault for getting pregnant outside of wedlock in Uganda; the very idea disturbed her even more when she joined Uganda Christian University and had to sign a code of conduct that stated that if she got pregnant outside of wedlock, she would be expelled. Unsurprisingly, she later met several girls, acquaintances and friends, who were forced into abortions so as to avoid social shame, and so that their lives is not a families’ financial disappointment.
Uganda’s society has failed to educate young women about sex and it’s consequences. When a pregnancy happens, society turns around and stigmatizes the girl, characterizing her as indecent, or as a failure, or as a bad fruits who will spoil other girls, but Charity sees young women in such a situation as a reflection of society’s flaws, and it could be fixed if addressed without judgment.
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Charity Atukunda currently resides in Mukono, Uganda. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Fine Arts at Uganda Christian University. She is a painter and a jewelry designer. Her goal is to create a livelihood with her talents amidst a stagnant and stumbling economy where every entrepreneur is a copy of the last. Experience her other art works and blog at ensiensya.wordpress.com, it explores the rewards and challenges of being a young artist in Uganda creating a platform for herself; pursuing and perfecting her own voice as an artist and designer.
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Cover Artwork: Life in Question ~~ Charity Atukunda
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