Background
Uganda is known as ‘the pearl of Africa’ and is inhabited by about 52 tribes. In this safe and friendly country at Victoria lake, where the White Nile originates, you find the best of what the continent has to offer. Tropical weather, a scenic landscape and a friendly population.
Only a few decades ago Uganda was plagued by the terrorist regime of Idi Amin but now the country is stable. The Ugandans work hard together on rebuilding their country. Because of the growing HIV/aids epidemic, insufficient provision of education and the almost total dependency on agriculture. There is still a long way to go. In addition, in the countryside there is a great need of clean drinking water, to prevent deadly diseases like typhus, dysentery and cholera – and to reduce infant mortality to a minimum. Access to education, work and an income for the poorest people is crucial for hope for a better future.
Uganda: a big part of the population is living below the poverty line
Although in recent years the Ugandan economy has improved, the country is still one of the poorest countries in the world. More than half the Ugandan population is living below the poverty line and can barely, if at all, provide for the daily necessities of life. More than 50% of the population can only afford one meal a day. (Source: Daily Monitor 2014) Within the new definition of the poverty line, set by the World bank (October 2015: from $1.25 to $1.90 a day) there is even a bigger part of the Ugandan population living under the poverty line. About 85% of the population works in agriculture. Most of the production is for own use. They grow mostly millet, cassava and some fruit. They have no opportunity to grow for export. In addition, there is no access to the world market. The majority, about 80% of the local population has no additional income. Therefore, the quality of life in the countryside is very precarious.
Stop Poverty in Uganda: focused on self-sustainability
Because of the high level of poverty Stop Poverty started a few years ago the fight against poverty in Uganda. We have given through our education project hundreds of the poorest children primary and secondary education and we help via water and solar energy projects to give people improved health in the countryside. As a way of working towards self-sustainability we create local income so that sponsorship from the Netherlands is needed only to establish our projects.
