Uganda is a land of Orphans. They are the result of two main causes: brutal dictators who killed their parents and the loss of parents from the AIDS epidemic.
Twenty years of rebel activity by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has created a humanitarian upheaval in Northern Uganda that has displaced 1.7 million people who don’t have access to humanitarian aid. Especially hard hit are the children. It is estimated that 935,000 children have been displaced from their homes (OXFAM, 2006). Many orphans live in one of the 230 displaced persons’ camps which offer limited supplies. Many simply wander the streets.
Uganda has the highest number of AIDS orphans in the world.
AIDS AND UGANDA ORPHANS
*There are 2 million orphans in Uganda (UNICEF, 2003).
*By 2010, it is estimated that the number of children orphaned by AIDS will nearly double as more parents die (UNICEF).
*Around 1 million people live with AIDS in Uganda and over 1 million children have lost one or both parents due to AIDS (Global Health Report 2005).
TOWARD A SOLUTION
After a week in Kenya, I'll be joining the Eqipping Pastors International to cross the border into Uganda to share with a group of national pastors and their wives how biblical principles can help address the malaise. We will explore how Christ can bring peace to the North, help raise the standards of living in Uganda, and even help the people create more orphanage homes, medical facilities, and schools.
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