By Raissa Batra
The situation of children in Uganda is a bleak one. Malnutrition, lack of access to education, exposure to crime are only some of the problems faced by children living in Uganda. 49 out of 1000 children living in Uganda die before their 5th birthday. 29% of children suffer from stunting due to malnutrition. 16% of children in Uganda are engaged in child labour. 56% of Uganda’s children suffer from multiple deprivations.
The country’s population is heavily impoverished, putting children at risk and providing them with few opportunities. Due to the high prevalence of poverty and lack of resources in rural areas, many parents restrict their children from attending school so they can work full time and contribute financially to the family, work in conflict zones, or marry at a very young age, all of which are very dangerous for children.
Many Ugandan children suffer from malnutrition. The northeastern region is very arid and it is extremely difficult to produce crops, making food consumption an ever-present problem. Due to uncontrolled population growth, Uganda’s educational system has been under extreme pressure, making it difficult to raise the quality of education. Additionally, the schools are in poor condition with lacking washrooms and unreliable infrastructure.
Child marriage and child labour are other issues that are highly prevalent in Uganda. Child labour is a violation of human rights and often includes sexual exploitation which often ties into human trafficking. In Uganda, 10% of girls are married off before the age of 15 and 40% of girls are married off before their 18th birthday.
However, these are only some of the issues that are negatively influencing children in Uganda. It is important to start fixing the situation of children and so the government first needs to raise awareness because unless the public does not understand the severity of the situation, other helpful measures will have no effect. These measures include care packages provided by the government and financial aid. Additionally, the infrastructure of learning centers must be drastically improved to provide students with safe spaces. There is much to be done, so it is imperative the work starts soon.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Challenges That Children in Uganda Face – LOCAL SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ORGANISATION (LOSCO). loscoug.org/2021/08/19/challenges-that-children-in-uganda-face/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2022.
“Children of Uganda – Humanium.” Humanium, 2010, www.humanium.org/en/uganda/.
Philipp, Jennifer. “5 Challenges due to Child Poverty in Uganda.” The Borgen Project, 11 May 2021, borgenproject.org/child-poverty-in-uganda/.
“Situation Analysis of Children in Uganda 2019.” Www.unicef.org, www.unicef.org/uganda/reports/situation-analysis-children-uganda-2019. Accessed 3 Dec. 2022.
