The Children

Half the population of Uganda is under the age of fifteen.  There are two million orphans in a total population of over 30 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, uncles, 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

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.  

Mass Migration

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 out children are fatherless, either by death or abandonment.  Many are motherless from the same causes.  Too many have lost both parents. 

Teens at Risk

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 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 or 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.