Children without parents

Half of all people in Uganda are children: about 17 million (according to the Central Intelligence Agency, November 2011)! In most parts of the country, civil war is not the biggest threat anymore. But the medical aid available is catastrophic. Many children still die of preventable of curable illnesses.
Recently, “universal primary education” has been made compulsory – but approximately 6 of 10 children do not complete the full 7 years of primary school. Many boys and girls must contribute to the livelihood of their families. Due to this, the massive illiteracy rate is not likely to decrease any time soon, and neither is the disproportionately high population growth, which is one of the highest in the world. This affects and slows down the rebuilding of the nation as well as the reduction of poverty.
Additionally, a large part of the population does not speak English – the country’s official language. Because lessons in the overcrowded classrooms take place almost exclusively in English, even ambitious teachers fail to educate many of their students.
But despite these obstacles, it is an accepted fact that only a fundamentally and properly educated young generation will be able to pave the way to a better future for the country.

"Education is the key" is a slogan that can be found all over the country.

Hundreds of thousands of children are orphans. They must make their own way. Distant relatives are usually too poor themselves to care for anyone but their own children – if even that much is possible. Additionally, many children are refugees or live in the street, without the prospect of a brighter future.
They need someone to help them!

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Geographical Details

Uganda (Capital: Kampala) is situated in East Africa. An area of 236.860 km² is populated by 34.5 million people – and the population is growing at a rate of 3.5%. The official language is English. There are over 30 different ethnic groups. Our project is located in Kagadi, a small town in the West located between Hoima and Fort Portal. Runyoro is the indigenous language in this region.
Despite the topographical situation the climate is moderate and the earth is fertile. Precipitation varies greatly.

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Economic Details

Colonisation, military dictatorship and civil war have ruined Uganda. Today, the situation has improved, largely due to president Museveni. Economic growth rates are constantly high and the country is seen as a frontrunner in the fight against new cases of HIV infection. But these positive changes are taking place on the lowest possible levels. Uganda is still one of the poorest countries in the world and is still suffering from an incredibly high rate of AIDS aong the population.
Falling world prices and a high national debt put a damper on the upswing. Export goods consist mainly of unprocessed raw materials such as tea, coffee and tobacco. Power supplies are unreliable, even in the capital Kampala. About 80% of the work force is employed in agriculture.