Why We Work in JInja, Uganda

POVERTY IN UGANDA

Despite reducing national poverty rates over the last decade, The former Department for International Development (DFID) estimates that 63% of Uganda’s population are either living in poverty or at risk of falling back below the poverty line.

High population growth rates have a negative impact on economic growth and create challenges for education and health services. Over 700,000 young people enter the labour market each year with few job opportunities.

Half the population in Uganda are under 15 years old (the world average is 27%). Human Rights Watch estimates that over 56% of Uganda’s 37 million people are under the age of 18 and are the single largest demographic group living in poverty. UNICEF Uganda estimates that 55% of children aged 0–4 in Uganda live in poverty and 24% live in extreme poverty.

A Ugandan girl of about five years old walks through a muddy slum area which has blackened barrels used for brewing illegal alcohol. She is walking past a large pit of sludge which is the run off from this process.

Slum communities in Jinja are unsafe for children

ACCESS TO EDUCATION

Only 13.4% of Ugandan children are enrolled in pre-primary education. This drops to 6.7% of children from the poorest households. Primary school completion rate has declined from 60 per cent in 2001–2005 to about 55 per cent in 2011–2015. Save the Children state that one in four families cannot afford to visit a health facility or buy medication and 29% of children under five suffer stunting.

WHY DO WE WORK IN JINJA?

Slum communities surrounding Jinja in Eastern Uganda face many challenges. Located on the eastern bank of the Nile, around 30,000 people are crowded into eight slum areas.

As a result of the construction of the Owen Falls Dam (a hydroelectric power station), the presence of a railway line to Kenya (Uganda Railways Corporation) and the access to lake waters, Jinja initially grew into a premier industrial hub. However, during the political instability under the presidency of Idi Amin (1971-79) much of its economic base collapsed and the area was left with widespread unemployment and poverty.

Despite their struggles, the bulk of international aid, development funding and media focus is concentrated on the refugee influx and areas of deprivation in the north of the country. Many refugees entering over the country’s northern border have ended up migrating to the slums around Jinja, as well as a sizeable movement of Karamajong people into one of the poorer villages. Rural people are also migrating to these areas in high numbers, only to find there is a lack of the housing and income opportunities they hoped for. This has created a growing sprawl of unplanned settlements surrounding the city.

A slum community in Uganda with a line of makeshift houses made from corrugated metal and tarpauline sheets. They are lined up along a dirt road with patches of grass on the opposite side of the track. There are around 11 children walking and playing outside the houses. One small boy closest to the camera is waving. Three adults are standing around the children.

Children waving in Loco slum community where families live in extreme poverty

Like all local governments in Uganda, Jinja depends heavily on the central government for revenues, but the funds are rarely enough to pay for the staff and services necessary to keep up with growth. In the slum areas, this has resulted in endemic poverty, destructive livelihoods, poor hygiene and sanitation. Crime rates are high and there is a lack of access to rights and services.

Women around Jinja are particularly at risk, with a prevalence of HIV/AIDS resulting in single mother, child and grandparent headed households. High levels of alcoholism often lead to domestic violence and abuse.

Child sacrifice has become a growing problem in Uganda. The practice is rooted in traditional beliefs, and a number of socio-economic and cultural factors (poverty, weak legislation and poor parenting) have been put forth by analysts to explain the sudden increase in its occurrence.

All these challenges have led to unsafe environments for children, leaving them vulnerable to maltreatment, neglect, exploitation and child sacrifice. Facing these problems for years, the hard-pressed communities around Jinja have struggled against a growing sense of apathy and a lack of hope to see change.

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In Jinja, Eastern Uganda, thousands of people are crowded into eight slum areas. Slum dwellers face endemic poverty, poor sanitation, low employment and high crime rates.

These areas are unsafe environments for children, who are at risk of maltreatment, neglect, exploitation and even child sacrifice.

Children on the Edge work with six slum communities in the suburbs of Jinja to create protective environments for their children; transforming them into safe spaces where children are protected from harm and are able to thrive.