this is my newest friend. his name is basil and he lives in a rural area of uganda. he will be eight years old on the fifth of october, and he's in year one. he likes ball games, and he likes maths. his father is a day labourer and doesn't have regular work, and he struggles to provide for his family. his mother is a housewife. basil helps out by caring for the animals.


uganda is a land-locked country in east-central africa. its history is blackened by colonialism, ruthless authoritarianism, economic mismanagement, civil war, and conflict with sudan.
most ugandans live in rural areas. housing varies from square mud-walled buildings or grass-thatched huts in the countryside, to concrete block or brick homes with tin roofs in towns. contaminated water and inadequate sanitation are problems for the poor.
much of the population does not have access to health facilities.
wages of most people have not kept pace with price increases, and families need several income-producing activities to make ends meet.
as many as 1.4 million ugandans were living with hiv/aids by 2001. the epidemic has orphaned over two million children, and placed major strains on scarce resources.
uganda continues to struggle with high levels of debt. while uganda was able to increase government spending on education and health as a result of debt relief, its indebtedness continues to effect the availability of social services. if uganda is to meet the internationally-agreed millennium development goals, it will need total debt cancellation as well as significant increases in aid.

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