Uganda
Uganda is a lush fertile country in East Africa. Winston Churchill proclaimed it the "Pearl of Africa" for its beautiful landscape, wildlife and natural resources. It ‘s borders encompass the source of the great Nile River, the Rwenzori Mountains- home of the mountain gorillas, and Lake Victoria – the second largest fresh water lake in the world. Ugandans comprise several different tribal groups and tribal identity is an important part of Ugandan life. Uganda is a rural agrarian society with 90% of the population earning their living through subsistence farming. Because the land is so fertile, Ugandans are able to cultivate a wide variety of foods including: pineapple, watermelon, potatoes, cassava, peanuts, and starchy and sweet bananas. A typical meal includes vegetables, beans, and fruit. Most Ugandans live in homes built of the natural resources, which are plentiful around them such as clay, wood, and stones. Traditionally, music and dance have been key elements of Ugandan culture and have served as tools to pass on traditions and history to the next generation.
Unfortunately, decades of successive military coups have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and left the country with the enormous burden of rebuilding it’s infrastructure and economy, as well as the task of preparing it’s youth to lead the country into the next century. In addition to these economic challenges, the AIDS epidemic has ravaged much of Uganda’s adult population, leaving orphans with little means of support for the future. In Uganda, there are 1.2 million children who have lost at least one parent to AIDS, a figure that is increasing by an estimated 50,000 per year. Against this background Uganda sits as a critically strategic nation in Africa both economically and spiritually. Saving Uganda’s children and bringing up a generation which is healthy, educated, and filled with love for Jesus will enable them to transform not only their own country, but to be used of God to reach out to Africa.
