Children of the Nations

Description

Uganda “the Pearl of Africa,” boasting some of the best scenery in Africa, is composed of lakes, rivers, mountains, and semi-arid lands. It is home to Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake and chief source of the Nile River.

Uganda’s people have endured much suffering in recent history. Between 800,000 and 2 million people died during the dictatorship of Idi Amin (1971–1979) and the civil wars, tribal killings, and famines that followed. Then, from 1988 to 2006, the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army terrorized Uganda's northern districts. As the government forced the closure of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in 2007, most of the people of northern Uganda returned to their homes or communities. However, countless communities were completely destroyed and families killed, leaving many with nowhere to go.

Today, typical Ugandans live in villages made up of small houses, often less than a couple hundred square feet. The houses in rural parts of the country are made of mud with thatched-grass roofs, though there are now an increasing number of houses with corrugated iron roofs. About 80 percent of all Ugandans work in agriculture. Nationally, they cultivate cotton, corn, tea, and coffee, though most farmers work at the subsistence level, struggling to grow enough to feed their families. They rarely have surplus food to sell for income that can provide other necessities like clothing and healthcare.

Why We Serve in Uganda

Orphans and widows are among the hardest hit from the country's turmoil as they have been left to fend for themselves—either on the streets or in the remains of dismantled IDP camps.
Healthcare is a great concern for families. Access to medical facilities is limited and costly. Without access to even the most basic necessities or services, acute conditions such as malnutrition are rampant.
Psychological and emotional stresses affect all ages. Unresolved trauma resulting from horrific war-time experiences haunts adults and children alike.
Children are in desperate need of improved educational opportunities to help them escape the cycle of poverty and open up a brighter future.

Children of the Nations’ Involvement

In the summer of 2005, COTN's African and American trauma counseling teams visited IDP camps in and around the Lira area of Northern Uganda. Thanks to support from people like you, COTN began building relationships with Ugandans, making inroads for long-term success, establishing a daily presence in the community where we serve.

Following the end of the war in 2006, COTN, along with a team of African Bible College students from Malawi, conducted a 10-week outreach to the Lira region, working with more than 180 pastors and lay leaders. The team also provided trauma counseling to adults and children in the IDP camps. When the government forced a closure of the camps in 2007, tens of thousands of refugees were left with nowhere to go, as their communities had been destroyed. Orphans and widows were left to fend for themselves. So began COTN’s work in Uganda.

Today, through your generous support, COTN cares for hundreds of children in Uganda, providing food, medical care, schools and education, sustainable development initiatives, clean water, Christian discipleship, a University/Vocational Program, and much more.

Uganda Ministry Center: