ABOUT
UGANDA
COUNTRY &
PEOPLE
EDUCATION
SYSTEM
HISTORY
OF UGANDA
GEOGRAPHY
DATA &
FACTS
ABOUT UGANDA
Here we want to give you some informations about Uganda, the country where the major part of our work takes place, to get an insight in the country and the people, the education system, the history of Uganda and the geography of the country. At the end you will find some interesting data & facts about Uganda.
About
Uganda
Uganda: Gross domestic product (GDP) per person in each prices from 2005 to 2015 (in USD)
Uganda has a population of approximately 27 million, and with an area of 241,000 km2 is approximately the size of Great Britain.
​
The Ugandans are a friendly, warm-hearted and humorous people, in spite of their suffering under brutal dictators, through civil war (under Idi Amin and Milton Obote) and the development of the HIV epidemic.
​
Uganda is the world’s "youngest" country – more than 50% of the population are under 15 years old. Malaria and AIDS are the chief reasons for the low average life expectancy of approximately 45 years, and for the many orphans. In Uganda there are about 4 million children who have lost at least one of their parents. They are usually taken in by relatives who often do not have the necessary financial means to care for the children well and send them to school.
Uganda’s official language is English, which is spoken by most people, especially in the towns. Most schools and universities teach in English. The 47 different national languages are spoken mainly by the rural population. Luganda is the most common tribal language, spoken by the cultural tribe of Baganda which are located in Central Uganda (around Kampala).
​
The capital city of Kampala offers almost every comfort of modern life, such as telecommunication, medical care and travel connections by car, train and plane. The infrastructure is not so well-developed in other towns.
THE NATIONAL FLAG
The crested crane can be seen in a white circle on the black, yellow and red striped flag. Black represents the people of the land, yellow represents the sunshine and red represents the brotherhood of mankind.
In 1997 compulsory school attendance was introduced in Uganda for primary school age (Universal Primary Education). The school year begins in February and finishes in December. It is made up of three terms (term 1-3), and each term ends with an examination.
​
From the age of three it is possible for children to attend nursery school. This is similar to the German Kindergarten system, and the final year has a pre-school structure. For this reason it is good for the children to attend nursery school for at least a year, so that the transfer to primary school is easier for them.
​
Primary school lasts seven years (classes P1- P7), and finishes with an examination.
If these schools are state schools, they are financially partially state-supported. The families have to raise some of the funds themselves, however.
​
After successfully completing primary school, the children have the possibility of attending senior/secondary school (S1 – S4). The following high school (S5 – S6) is usually in the same school building. At present these schools are not yet generally supported by the state.
​
After successfully completing high school the young people have the possibility of going to one of the universities.
Because of the political upheavals and financial problems many children have not been able to go to school, even though school attendance is compulsory. It is not unusual for children/young people to be in a class that they - in view of their age - should have completed long ago. As a consequence it can happen that a 10-year-old child starts primary school or an 18-year-old youth starts secondary school.
The proportion of children in the population is very high and the state schools are not able to take in all these children. For this reason there are many private schools. The private schools receive very little assistance from the state, however, and have to support themselves. Children normally have to wear the school uniform of the school they attend, and their families have to raise the money for these additional costs.
A BATTLE OF FAITH
Around 1500 years ago the people of the Hima tribe founded their own states. Until the 15th century the first great Kingdom Bunyoro developed on the territory of today's Uganda. From the second half of the 17th century Buganda became the predominating kingdom. Smaller kingdoms were Ankole, Busoga and Toro.
​
In the 19th century Great Britain, France and Germany tried to gain supremacy in East Africa. After first Buganda had been annexed to Great Britain in 1890, British rule was also able to be expanded to the kingdoms of Ankole, Busoga, Bunyoro and Toro. In 1896 the Protectorate of Uganda was founded. In 1922 today's territories of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were united into British East Africa.
When the Gospel came to the country in 1877 there was both a radical awakening, and a spiritual battle with the powers of evil. The first 36 Ugandan martyrs were burned by order of King Mwanga in 1886. This event, however, turned out to be the roots of what was later known as the East African revival, which began in Uganda and Rwanda in 1920 and spread to extensive parts of East Africa.
​
In the nineteen-fifties a strong independence movement arose. After lengthy negotiations the Constitution document was endorsed in April 1962 and Milton Obote became President. But political unity was not yet established. In May 1966 Obote dispatched troops into the Kingdom of Buganda to send the Kabaka (King) into exile. After this a new Republican constitution came into force with the result that the Hima-Kingdoms (Ankole, Buganda, Bunyoro and Toro) were dissolved. Obote took over the position as President of Uganda.
Large sections of the population were dissatisfied with the strict measures for economical restructure. During Obotes' official visit abroad, there was a military coup on January 25th 1971. Idi Amin, commander of the Army, overthrew the government and replaced it by a military dictatorship that lasted altogether for eight years. Under his rule there began an unprecedented, incomparable and brutal persecution of any dissenter, especially Christians. Soon, murder, kidnapping, imprisonment and raids became the order of the day. From 1972 onwards Amin expelled all Asians, on whose shoulders the economy rested. Their possessions were confiscated by the state and the collapse of the nation began. Soon there was no functioning industry left. Uganda, once called "the pearl of Africa" plunged into anarchy, poverty and inflation, and the black market became normal. The Western states closed their embassies and imposed a trade embargo.
PERSECUTIONS AND PROBLEMS
In 1975 Amin declared Uganda an Islamic state, although only 3% of the population were Moslems. Only the Catholic and the Anglican Church were tolerated. The Christians were forbidden to pray on any other day than Sunday, or outside the Catholic or Anglican Church. Pastors of other fellowships were persecuted, tortured and some were even killed. Despite these dangers there were still people who lived out their faith. They went underground, all confessional differences disappeared and jungle churches arose with 24-hour prayer meetings. These were not ordinary, short prayers. They were prayers crying out to God for help.
Idi Amin's (picture below) dictatorship came to an end in 1979 through troops invading from Tanzania. Peace returned to the land and religious freedom was restored. Until a new dictator Dr. Apollo Milton Obote and the People's Congress Party took over power in 1980. Civil war broke out. Whole villages were extinguished, houses burned. People either had to leave their homes to find shelter in refugee camps or they were ruthlessly killed.
The prayers that had been neglected during the short period of peace were taken up again with even more intensity and depth. Many churchmen and intercessors who spoke out frankly about the abuse of human rights disappeared or died as a result of different crimes.
Obote’s regime was overthrown by Tito Okello Lutwa who was later and shortly overthrown by the "National Resistance Army" (N.R.A.) under Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (picture below, 1986–today President).
​
This led to a fundamental change. The land became safe again, and freedom of speech and religious freedom were restored. The economy slowly began to recover.
​
With the epidemic development of AIDS new problems arose for the nation. AIDS has left a much greater mark on the whole country than all the wars it has been through. The land became full of orphans that no one could take care of. Many children became street urchins who had to provide for themselves. Some of the older girls turned to prostitution, some of the boys became criminals. Drug abuse increased greatly.
WHO experts predicted that the land would collapse by the year 1997. One third of the population would die of the HIV-Virus, another third would fall ill and the last third would be too weak to maintain the economy.
WINDS OF CHANGE
As the government was unable to see any way out, politicians called the church leadership together and asked them to do something against the desperate situation of the people. Many churches built orphanages and rehabilitation centres; the challenge exceeded the available funds, however.
Despite the awful prognosis of the WHO the intercessors did not give up. A new wave of revival swept through the land and is still touching all classes of population today.
Politicians and Christians together started a public campaign for integrity and ethics that has meanwhile taken hold of the whole country. Many corrupt statesmen, politicians and civil servants have already had to resign.
​
Government and churches further decided together to follow a double strategy: Quotation: "Condoms plus moral changes through ethical renewal and a return to biblical values."
​
The success is phenomenal: the AIDS-rate in Uganda is the only one in Africa which is decreasing. The dismal prognosis did not come true; the WHO faces a mystery, and somewhat helplessly scrutinizes the "exemplary phenomenon of Uganda". The inflation rate sank from 380% after the civil war down to 6-8 % today. The IMF and the World Bank today regard Uganda as an "outstanding example of economic expansion".
​
Despite this expansion Uganda is still dependant on foreign help. Civil war and AIDS have left their mark on the families. The upkeep for many families is uncertain due to the loss of one or both parents. There are still thousands of orphans. Most of them are supported by their relatives, who can often give them nothing but the bare necessities, as their income is often hardly sufficient to provide for their own family. As a consequence many of those children cannot go to school and their future prospects do not look good.
​
Despite the awful prognosis of the WHO the intercessors did not give up. A new wave of revival swept through the land and is still touching all classes of population today.
Politicians and Christians together started a public campaign for integrity and ethics that has meanwhile taken hold of the whole country. Many corrupt statesmen, politicians and civil servants have already had to resign.
​
Government and churches further decided together to follow a double strategy: Quotation: "Condoms plus moral changes through ethical renewal and a return to biblical values."
​
The success is phenomenal: the AIDS-rate in Uganda is the only one in Africa which is decreasing. The dismal prognosis did not come true; the WHO faces a mystery, and somewhat helplessly scrutinizes the "exemplary phenomenon of Uganda". The inflation rate sank from 380% after the civil war down to 6-8 % today. The IMF and the World Bank today regard Uganda as an "outstanding example of economic expansion".
​
Despite this expansion Uganda is still dependant on foreign help. Civil war and AIDS have left their mark on the families. The upkeep for many families is uncertain due to the loss of one or both parents. There are still thousands of orphans. Most of them are supported by their relatives, who can often give them nothing but the bare necessities, as their income is often hardly sufficient to provide for their own family. As a consequence many of those children cannot go to school and their future prospects do not look good.
WHAT DOES UNTEROLBERNDORF IN THE WEIN-VIERTEL (AUSTRIA) HAS TO DO WITH UGANDA?
​
A lot!
​
For in June 1985 the leadership oft he Ugandan National Resitance Movement (NRM) met in this small, remote village in a local pub for a conspirative meeting.
​
The time where everybody was there, was from the 15th to the 18th of June 1985. There they planned the fall of the then reigning president Miltion Obote and decided the Unterolberndorfer Manifest, a 10 points program, upon which the constitution of Uganda is based, which was launched on the 8th of October 1995 after a long process. One of the participants, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, was made president in the end of January 1986. Due to a state visit he came again into the local pub in Austria on the 28th of May 1994 and in 2010 a memorial was put in the centre of the village.
​
Interesting, isn’t it?
Museveni mit Erwin Proell und Frau Wirtin beim Gasthof "Zum Grünen Jäger" in Österreich, 1994
Museveni mit der Gasthausinhaber-Familie
Der Gasthof im Weinviertel, Niederösterreich
Uganda lies west of Kenya in East Africa, on the equator. There are two places where the equator is exactly passing. Uganda consists of a large and mainly green plateau between the western and eastern foothills of the Great Rift Valley.
It is a blessed and fertile land with over 2,000 mm of rainfall per year - on a continent that is constantly afflicted by drought and famine.
​
Lakes like "Lake Victoria", the second largest freshwater lake in the world, and rivers like the legendary Nile cover 25% of the lands' surface. Luscious rainforests, savannahs and semi-deserts accommodate an incomparable variety of animals and plants.
Since peace and security prevail in Uganda once more, the land is noticeably regaining its former reputation as a tourists’ paradise. Thousands of Indians and other foreigners (most of them of Asian origin), who were expelled from the land in the 70's have come back, and have taken over and restored their property, land, factories and shops again. Investors from all over the world are discovering Uganda with its multiple development potentials. And last but not least the Ugandans themselves are the ones who are reaping the fruits of the latest efforts for solid conditions.
​
Area: 241.038 km² (approx. like GB)
Inhabitants: over 37 Millions
Density: 167 inhabitants / km²
Capital: Kampala
Life expectancy (Men): 53 years
Life expectancy (women): 55 years
Access to clean drinking water: 56%
Fertility (2004): 6,8 children / woman
Age-structure: 0-14 years: around 50,2%
15–64 years: around 47,6%
65 years and more: around 2,2%
Average age: 15 years
HIV/AIDS infection rate: around 6,5% (data varies strongly)
HIV/AIDS death cases: 64.000 (2009, estimated)
AIDS orphans: 880.000 (UNAIDS statistics)
Poverty figure: 25% of the people are considered poor according to the poverty restricitions
Uganda: Total population from 2004 to 2015 (in Million people)
(Sources: Wikipedia, The World Factbook, Statista; last updated 2016)
