Uganda the facts
The Uganda Participatory Poverty Assessment Report, June 2000 notes that there is low productivity due to lack of education and skills, limited access to financial services, dependence on a single source of income, poor access to markets and information, idleness, mistrust and absence of co-operation, large family sizes and insecurity of whatever nature, featured most as responsible for the pervasive poverty. Geographical isolation limits access to essential services, information and markets and leads to higher costs of accessing services and low prices for farmers' produce.
• As measured by the Human Development Index,
Uganda ranks 159th out of 175
countries in the world today
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Information Technology Status in Uganda was amongst the least developed, not only in Africa, but also in the whole world. More recent developments show that 70% of communications services are concentrated in the urban areas, leaving rural areas unserved and without access to these vital services, which further compounds poverty as it leaves these communities isolated and without the opportunity to interact with wider communities / outside world. It was under this wider context in which UDS conceived, designed, and implemented the Multipurpose Community Telecentre concept.
Government Policy is to ensure a minimum of one or two public access points to telephones in each sub-county and Internet points in every district by 2005. During Fiscal Year 2004-2005, there are plans to extend the telephone network to 154 sub-counties, and to establish 32 Internet cafes and 20 multi-purpose community telecentres.
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• Population: 24 million
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• Population: 50% (12 million) under 17 years of age
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• Life Expectancy: 40 years for males and 41 years for females
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• Adults and children living with HIV/AIDS: in excess of 820,000
Adult population living with HIV/AIDS: 8.3%.
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• AIDS orphans (Loss of one or more parents from HIV/AIDS): 2 million
Internally displaced people due to 20-year war in north Uganda: 1.8 million
(Deaths in their camps aprox 1,000 per week, Dec. 05)
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• Average literacy rate: 54%
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• Women's literacy rate: 44%
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• Completed senior four (Basic secondary school / 'GCSE'): 14.8%
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• Poverty: 80% live in absolute poverty with an annual income of less than £120 (Overall average £176)
Estimated economic growth: 5%
Agriculture employment: 85% of Uganda's population live in rural areas and depend on agriculture to survive and •earn, providing 70% of Uganda's GDP.
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• World ranking in Human Development: 159th out of 175 countries
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• Environmental issues - draining of wetlands for agricultural use, overgrazing, soil erosion.
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• Economy: Uganda is "Highly Indebted Poor Country"
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• World ranking in wealth: 113th out of the 175 countries in the world
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• Dependant on foreign aid for 60% of budget
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• Exports: Mainly coffee. Some cotton, tea, horticultural products and minerals.
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