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Half the population of Uganda is under the age of fifteen. There are almost two million orphans in a total population of over 24 million.*
When Uganda’s bloody civil war drew to a close in 1986 and the country started rebuilding, the AIDS pandemic hit with full force. The result
of these two devastating blows, combined with pervasive malaria and poverty, is that a large percentage of the “middle adult” age group
has been wiped out. Children are being cared for by grandparents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors, and some are on their own. Many
young adults find themselves without parents—and without the wisdom, guidance, and safety net that parents normally provide.
Education is extremely important in Uganda. Parents, guardians, and children see education as their best way of escaping a lifetime of
poverty—scraping by as subsistence farmers or unskilled labor. Although primary education is partially subsidized by the Ugandan
government, no schooling is completely without cost. The place of education in the Ugandan family’s priorities is evident in the fact that
hospital and clinic admissions regularly drop off during the three times a year when school fees are due. Parents choose to do without
medical care in order to keep their children in school. Although fees and expenses are low compared to western standards, they are still
beyond the reach of many Ugandans, especially for people who are caring for orphaned children of relatives and friends as well as their own.
The sprawling urban slum surrounding the capital city of Kampala presents additional problems. Families and individuals have migrated from
the villages looking for a better life. Substandard housing is spreading in all directions faster than the municipal infrastructure can keep up.
Pit latrines are hastily constructed near fresh water sources. Unpaved roads turn into rivers of mud during rainy season and flood the low
lying areas where epidemics of cholera and other water-borne diseases are a regular occurrence.
The mass migration has also undermined the social safety net left behind in the rural village. The temptations of city life—alcohol, drugs,
and prostitution—destroy an already fragile family structure. Most of our children are fatherless, either by death or abandonment. Many
are motherless from the same causes. Too many have lost both parents.
Defilement of school-age girls is a common occurrence. Rape is always a danger as girls travel to and from school through risky
neighborhoods during dawn and dusk. Defilement is not always involuntary. Because of extreme poverty, many girls are tempted by the
promise of a little money to buy food or clothing. The most at risk are the girls in the upper primary classes. Some are well into their teens
by the time they reach sixth or seventh grade because their academic progress was delayed due to lack of school fees. The cost of
secondary school is prohibitive for most families and these girls see no hope for their future. This hopelessness leaves them vulnerable to
the advances of unscrupulous men. By contrast, girls who are enrolled in secondary school are much less likely to engage in risky behavior.
Most are very serious about their education and appreciate the opportunity they’ve been given.
* 2002 Uganda Census
When Uganda’s bloody civil war drew to a close in 1986 and the country started rebuilding, the AIDS pandemic hit with full force. The result
of these two devastating blows, combined with pervasive malaria and poverty, is that a large percentage of the “middle adult” age group
has been wiped out. Children are being cared for by grandparents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors, and some are on their own. Many
young adults find themselves without parents—and without the wisdom, guidance, and safety net that parents normally provide.
Education is extremely important in Uganda. Parents, guardians, and children see education as their best way of escaping a lifetime of
poverty—scraping by as subsistence farmers or unskilled labor. Although primary education is partially subsidized by the Ugandan
government, no schooling is completely without cost. The place of education in the Ugandan family’s priorities is evident in the fact that
hospital and clinic admissions regularly drop off during the three times a year when school fees are due. Parents choose to do without
medical care in order to keep their children in school. Although fees and expenses are low compared to western standards, they are still
beyond the reach of many Ugandans, especially for people who are caring for orphaned children of relatives and friends as well as their own.
The sprawling urban slum surrounding the capital city of Kampala presents additional problems. Families and individuals have migrated from
the villages looking for a better life. Substandard housing is spreading in all directions faster than the municipal infrastructure can keep up.
Pit latrines are hastily constructed near fresh water sources. Unpaved roads turn into rivers of mud during rainy season and flood the low
lying areas where epidemics of cholera and other water-borne diseases are a regular occurrence.
The mass migration has also undermined the social safety net left behind in the rural village. The temptations of city life—alcohol, drugs,
and prostitution—destroy an already fragile family structure. Most of our children are fatherless, either by death or abandonment. Many
are motherless from the same causes. Too many have lost both parents.
Defilement of school-age girls is a common occurrence. Rape is always a danger as girls travel to and from school through risky
neighborhoods during dawn and dusk. Defilement is not always involuntary. Because of extreme poverty, many girls are tempted by the
promise of a little money to buy food or clothing. The most at risk are the girls in the upper primary classes. Some are well into their teens
by the time they reach sixth or seventh grade because their academic progress was delayed due to lack of school fees. The cost of
secondary school is prohibitive for most families and these girls see no hope for their future. This hopelessness leaves them vulnerable to
the advances of unscrupulous men. By contrast, girls who are enrolled in secondary school are much less likely to engage in risky behavior.
Most are very serious about their education and appreciate the opportunity they’ve been given.
* 2002 Uganda Census
| Child Poverty in Uganda |
| ©2008 St. Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund |