The children of Uganda

Wow! Over the past couple of weeks, I have learned so much about Uganda! From the various cultures, to the nonprofit organizations started by people like you and me to help women and children. As I continue to learn about Uganda and African culture, the article UNICEF-Uganda has planted a seed of something to further investigate. This article explains that the United Nations and faith based groups in Uganda are coming together to create a safer learning environment for children.  I find this to be very interesting because Children's Rights (which can be lumped into Women's Rights and of course Human Rights) are overlooked by a lot of the international community. Culture plays a lot in how children are treated and raised. Sometimes young girls cannot go to school because they have to get water for their family. Now, you may be wondering "Big deal. That's so simple!" but it's not if you live miles away from the main water source and have to make several trips a day. That very dilemma initiated nonprofits such as Blood:Water Mission to build water wells to help rural communities.

This article REALLY sparked my interest because I have been thinking about my community service project while in Uganda. I have spoken to many local Rotarians about a good community service project and have decided to work with orphans and children in Kampala.  Even though I have a desire to help women, helping children is just as important. I believe that if we want to break stereotypes and promote global understanding, educating and working with children is one of the best methods. I have also come across many nonprofit organizations that are doing great things in the region as well as local Rotary clubs that are partnering with organizations such as Arlington Academy of Hope and EDAPO (Economic Development and AIDS Prevention Organization). I plan on discussing more about these two organizations in a later post as I continue to speak with different Rotarians about the various projects in Uganda concerning these two organizations.

I urge everyone to check out the hyperlinks. Organizations such as the ones mentioned in this post are just examples of the wonderful things happening in Uganda to help those in need.