• child sponsorship
• family sponsorship
• pastor sponsorship

Population: The population of Uganda is estimated to be 30 million and the size of the country is 199,709 square kilometers. To put this in perspective, that is an average of 150 people living in each square kilometer. Australia has a population of 21.5 million and the size of our country is 7,686,850 square kilometers. In Australia there is an average of 3 people living in each square kilometer. This helps us to understand what is meant when Uganda is explained as "crowded".

Geographical Data: Uganda is situated in Eastern Africa bordered by Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Tanzania and Rwanda to south and the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) to the west. It lies astride the equator with the minimum altitude of 620 meters and maximum of 5,110 meters above sea level, and has a landscape that generally consists of mountains, highlands, undulating plains, water lakes, rivers and marshland. Almost 25 per cent of the country's surface is water and rivers, the largest and longest being Lake Victoria and river Nile respectively. 

Climate: Uganda experiences a tropical climate all year round with temperatures that rarely go below 15 degrees celsius or above 29 degrees celsius.

Diseases: There are many diseases rife in Uganda. Major contributing factors are the poor living and sanitary conditions, sub-standard drinking water and a tropical climate- Uganda lies along the equator. Diseases which have had a serious impact in Uganda include the following: Malaria, Pneumonia, AIDS, Cholera, Dysentery, Measles, Meningitis, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid Fever, Yellow Fever, Rabies and Worms. Of all the diseases mentioned above, Malaria is Uganda's greatest killer. Between 70,000 and 110,000 Ugandan children die from Malaria each year.  Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. Infection with one type of malaria, if not promptly treated, may cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death. Those who survive Malaria can often suffer from the following: childhood anemia, reduced growth (stunting) or mental retardation. The families of those affected by Malaria may have to spend as much as 25% of their income on treatment and prevention of Malaria and hence suffer from poverty also.

Uganda historically has had the world's highest number of AIDS victims, however, with a wide-spread campaign educating Ugandans about the disease, the country is now considered a success story because the number of AIDS sufferers has decreased to 4.1% of the population (However, in the slum area where Frank and Michele work they believe AIDS sufferers to still be about 20%) and those suffering with HIV is estimated at approximately 530,000. In Australia the number of our AIDS sufferers  is 0.1% and those suffering with HIV is approximately 10,000. There is still a lot we can do to assist sufferers and victims of this terrible disease.

Many of these diseases are preventable, or at least treatable, yet Ugandan people can often not afford, or gain access to treatment and medication. Simple illness like diarrhoea combined with low levels of nutrition, eating food with low basic nutrients, and poor water and sanitation facilities, can cause death. Disease is a major contributor to orphaned children. In Uganda orphans are defined as a child with one or both parent(s) who have died. Ugandan orphans account for about 7% of Uganda's population. Almost 50% of the population are under 18 years old.

Employment: Approximately 86 per cent of the country's labour force engages in agriculture, growing cotton, corn, tea, and coffee. Many families are subsistence farmers and struggle to produce enough food to feed their children. These families rarely have anything left to sell for income that might provide clothing, health care, or adequate shelter.

Diet: The Ugandan people eat a diet including matoke (plantain green bananas), cassava, sweet potato, rice, maize, millet, potato, posho, peanuts and beans. An abundance of local vegetables are usually available for those fortunate enough to
purchase them or grow their own. This includes, bananas, pineapples and avocado, and tropical fruits. Meat is expensive but when able, Ugandan people will eat meats including fish, chicken, goat and beef.

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NEWS LETTER