Uganda Facts
Uganda Facts
About Uganda
Uganda is about the size of Oregon and has 2.4 million orphans. It is one of the youngest countries in the world with 55% of its population under the age of eighteen. Decades of corruption, dictatorship, poverty, and disease have created a cycle of war and recovery. This situation is exacerbated by the country being situated in a fragile region that is vulnerable to climatic, economic, and conflict-related shocks.
In a recent report released by Transparency International, Uganda tops in corruption among the five countries under the East African community, followed by Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, and Rwanda. Uganda hosts more than 500,000 refugees and asylum-seekers. About 65% of the refugees are children under the age of 18, and more than half are adolescents. This contributes to the already strained resources.
History of the LRA
- Uganda engaged in an 18-year battle against the extremist rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The Ugandan government and the LRA signed a permanent cease-fire in February 2008.
- 8K-10K children were abducted by the LRA to form an army for Joseph Kony. Boys were turned into child soldiers and forced to kill, sometimes even their family. Abducted girls were turned into sex slaves.
- “Night Commuters” were children who left their homes at sundown to travel to Gulu for safety from the rebels.
- 1.5 million people were displaced due to fighting and fear of abduction.
Location
- Located in East Africa
- Bordered West by the Congo, North by Sudan, East by Kenya, and South by Tanzania and Rwanda.
- Uganda is divided by the equator.
Education
Poverty, which forces many children to drop out of school and work to support their families, continues to be the leading barrier to education in Uganda. Fees and hidden costs make it inaccessible for many children. Those fortunate enough to afford school face poor-quality teaching and teacher absenteeism. Despite being banned, corporal punishment remains common, contributing to high dropout rates and poor performance.
- 87% of the 2.4 million orphans in Uganda attend school.
- 9% of primary-age children are out-of-school.
- 33% of children who start primary school drop out before completing.
- Only 1 in 5 teachers are qualified to teach English and Math.
- 60% of teachers are not teaching.
- About 23% of adolescent girls ages 12-18 drop out of school after they begin menstruating.
Quick Facts
- Population: 37,579,000
- Population under the age of 18: 20,774,000
- Life Expectancy: 59 years
- 38% of the population lives below the poverty line of $1.25 per day.
- 1 million out of the 2.5 million orphans in Uganda were orphaned due to AIDS.
- Nearly 50% of women between ages 20-49 were married by the age of eighteen.
- 33% of adolescents will have a child before the age of eighteen.
- 2.4 million children are involved in exploitative labor.
- 40% of children have experienced physical violence.