Uganda

Uganda is located on the Equator in eastern Africa, where the savannah in the east meets the jungle in the west.

Making Wise Choices

In Uganda, one in four women have given birth the time they turn 18. Maternal mortality rates are high, with 336 deaths per 100,000 live births; 17.2% of these were aged between 15 and 19.* These excessively high fertility rates are one of the root causes of poverty in Uganda. Communities remain trapped in the intergenerational poverty cycle because there are too many children for parents or guardians to provide for. 

Some of the most marginalised communities in Uganda do not have access to reproductive health and life skills information. Young people are particularly vulnerable; sometimes with little or no education, they often turn to criminal activities. Consequently, the incarceration rate for young men is extremely high. Even young people who have an education struggle to find work because of the high population growth.

Our partner in Uganda, Wise Choices For Life, is improving access to sexual reproductive health and life skills education among children, adolescents and adults. It provides training for key community leaders such as teachers and prison wardens who are then equipped to provide this essential education to those they work with. In turn, these people are then equipped to deliver this knowledge to their communities, ensuring the circle of education continues to expand.