About Uganda

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Uganda is located in East Africa, and occupies a fertile plateau on the equator about the size of Oregon. Towering mountains form its western border with Rwanda and Congo, and the source of the Nile River in Jinja is a short distance from the capital of Kampala. It has a stable government and rich agricultural resource but little manufacturing, and except for export crops like coffee, tea and flowers, most farming is subsistence. It is home to 31 million people, 66% of whom are under the age of 15 – the youngest population in the world. Two decades ago it was ravaged by AIDS, but thanks to an aggressive education campaign by the government, NGOs and the private sector, the HIV infection rate fell to 7% in 2007.

Uganda achieved its independence from Great Britain peacefully in 1962, but two brutal dictatorships – Idi Amin from 1971-1979 and Milton Obote from 1980-1985 – retarded the country’s development.

A brighter future for Uganda depends on many things, but as with any country, better education is the key.