Rwenzori Development Foundation

THE RWENZORI DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Email: info@rwenzori.org Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 7092 116090
Registered Charity No. 1082294

ABOUT UGANDA ...

Uganda is a beautiful lush country whose spectacular scenery and impressive inhabitants earned it the name "Pearl of Africa".

It is the source of the White Nile and home to the endangered mountain gorilla. More than 20 ethnic groups make up the country's 25 million inhabitants. The official languages are English, Ganda and Swahili.

Click here for a Country Profile of Uganda ...

After independence in 1962 Ugandans suffered under the military dictatorship of Idi Amin in the 1970s followed by the return of Milton Obote. During this period half a million people were killed in state-sponsored violence. The economic cost of the civil wars left the once prosperous country heavily indebted and bankrupt. To add to Uganda's woes, the 1980s saw the devastating emergence of HIV and AIDS which at the height of the epidemic affected more than a third of the population.

15 years on Uganda is now relatively stable and the capital Kampala a modern bustling city. Under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni, the rate of HIV infection has been reduced making Uganda one of Africa's success stories. The social and economic costs have been high. AIDS has orphaned more than two million children. Agriculture the country's main source of income has been hard hit by labour shortages due to death and illness.

The economy is heavily reliant on donor money. Uganda has received some debt relief, however a crippling amount remains which continues to divert crucial resources away from health and education. Despite extreme difficulties Ugandans appear to weather these trials with admirable fortitude.

UGANDA FACT FILE

It is 147th of 175, in the Human Development Index for poverty
38% of people in Uganda live below the poverty line
Life expectancy is 43 years
141 of every 1000 babies will die before they reach the age of 5
Secondary education is not provided by the state
Adult literacy is 69% , but only 59% for women
67% of adults complete primary school, but only 62% of girls, despite free primary education
530,000 live with HIV/AIDS of which 84,000 are children under 15
78,000 people in Uganda died of AIDS in 2003
There are 940,000 orphans in the country
33% of the populations are Roman Catholic, 33% Protestant, 16% Muslim and 18% Indigenous beliefs
Agricultural products include: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, pulses, beef, goat, milk and cut flowers
In 2003 there were 61,000 telephone lines and 776,200 mobile phones

(Facts sourced from: UNAIDS website, Human Development Index, Ugandan Government website and CIA Ugandan World Factbook.)

The Rwenzori mountains, also known as the 'The Mountains of the Moon', are a site of world-renowned aesthetic and scientific value. Such is the uniqueness of the flora and fauna of this area that in 1994 it was made a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Rwenzori Mountains are also home to the Bakonjo and Baamba peoples who are the traditional custodians of the mountains, and whose lives and livelihoods are inexorably linked to the area.

In recent years the Rwenzori Mountains have been affected by rebel activity which sadly led to the park being closed and the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) placing the area on its list of World Heritage sites in danger. However the park is once again open to the public and July 2004 it was taken off the danger list owing to the increased security situation.

We support community organisations in and around the Rwenzori Mountain National Park and Kabarole District. For more information on what the RDF is doing in the Rwenzori area take a look at our PROJECT PAGES.