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.

The Pearl of Africa

I received my country assignment from Rotary International and I will be going to Kampala, Uganda to study at Makerere University. Uganda (also known as the Pearl of Africa) is in Central East Africa and is most seen on the Discovery channel with the migration of Lions, Hyenas, and other Safari animals. It’s a fairly tropical climate and is land locked with Lake Victoria in the southern part of the country. That particular lake is where the Nile River starts.

Kampala is the capital and is the most developed part of Uganda from what I understand. Lately, Uganda has been on the media’s radar because recently President Obama has sent some military advisors to help train the Ugandan military. Uganda is also a place where many missionaries go to volunteer and spread the word. The country is mainly Christian and has a pretty good split on Catholic/Orthodox and Protestant Christianity.

Uganda gained independence from the British in 1962 and has since been on a quest to find its own form of democracy. This is what peaked my interest in Uganda. As an aspiring Human Rights Attorney, I want to better understand and get an on the ground view of a fairly new independent country.  There are stereotypes about developing countries…some good and some bad. This Ambassadorial Scholarship is to promote global understanding and cultural awareness and that is what I intend to do while in Uganda.