UGANDA FACTS:Population: 24,699,073  (July 2002 est.)  Capital: Kampala, Area-Comparative: Slightly smaller than Oregon  Climate: Tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons; semiarid in northeast. Religion: 33% Roman Catholics, 33% Protestants, 16% Muslims,18% indigenous beliefs. Languages: English is the official national language; Ganda or Luganda is taught in some schools.  Literacy: 62.7% of those 15 years and older can read and write (USA = 97%). Infant mortality Rate: 85.35 deaths/ 1000live births (USA = 6.69). Life expectancy at birth: 43.81 years. (USA = 77.4 years). Per capita purchasing power parity: $1,200 (USA = $36,300). Population below poverty line: 35% (USA = 12.7%).

GENERAL INFORMATION: Magnificent scenery, thick tropical forests, savannas, beautiful lakes and wild animals such as the huge mountain gorillas make up the country of Uganda in East Africa, whose people have been subjected to political upheavals and social turmoil for many years.  Idi Amin, dictator throughout the 1970s was responsible for more than 300,000 deaths, and thousands fled the country.  Milton Obote, who ruled from 1980 to1985, claimed 100,000 more.  Tourism used to be a valuable source of income, but the unrest has caused a great decline.  The country, located on the equator, enjoys a mild climate because of its high altitude.  Its economy is based largely on agriculture, with the major exports being coffee, fish and fish products, tea and electric products.  Its southern border is lake Victoria, which is the most densely populated area.

WHO ARE THE UGANDAN PEOPLE: Throughout Uganda, there are more than 20 ethnic groups, each with its own language.  The country has no language that is understood by everyone.  The main ethnic groups are Ganda, Lango, Teso, Acholi and Karamajong.  Farmers make up the majority of the population.  They live in large family groups in scattered communities.  Their homes are made from corrugated iron roofs and walls of cement, cinder blocks or mud.  In the drier parts of the north, where it is drier and less fertile, nomadic herders can be found.  Less than 15 percent of the population live in towns or in Uganda’s relatively few cities.

HOW IS AAA INVOLVED IN UGANDA: AAA has two offices in Uganda, one in the north (Gulu) and another in the southern Capital city of Kampala. Torn by 18 years of fighting, there are now children living in Uganda that have known nothing but war during their lifetime. Our mission in Uganda is to assist refugees, internally displaced parsons and the underserved in becoming self sufficient and productive members of their communities. At the heart of our work in Uganda are programs to ease human suffering, and provide children with opportunities to complete their education. AAA works with over 3,500 children in Uganda providing programs in preventative health, counseling to deal with traumatic stress, and educational, social and recreation opportunities. The children enrolled in our sponsorship programs come from families decimated by war and disease. Many have lost one or both parents, been victims of abduction by armed rebel militias, and endured many other hardships. The Alliance for African Assistance child sponsorship program provides children with assistance in completing their basic education, paying school tuition, purchasing necessary scholastic materials, and providing for proper nutrition and health care.

WHAT IS UGANDAN EDUCATION SYSTEM LIKE: In its early history, Uganda was a leader in educational development in East Africa, with missionaries playing an important roll. Makerere University in Kampala was the first major institution of high learning in East and Central Africa.  But many years of inner turmoil and unsettled conditions have decreased the quality of the school system, and have caused a decline in primary school enrollment since the early 1970s. Missionaries still play a role in the schools, because currently, there are a small number of secondary schools, and the mission schools fill in the gaps of the system.