Uganda
I often encountered these brothers—though not always on stilts—on my bicycle commute to work in the southwestern Uganda town of Kabale. Walking on homemade stilts made of soft eucalyptus wood and requiring no nails or screws, these boys are like so many Ugandans: creative and resourceful in taking advantage of readily available materials to make whatever they needed. This particular day—during the semi-annual emergence of grasshoppers—appeared to be a good day to skip school and enjoy a tasty fresh grasshopper snack.
Ron Geason © 2017
PCV Uganda 2015–2017
Business & Agriculture
Republic of Uganda
East Central Africa
Area 93K mi2; 241K km2
Arable 34%
Population 44.7M (481/mi²; 185/km²)
Gov’t Presidential republic
Capital Kampala (3.5M)
GCP/Capita $2,187
Unemployment 9%
In Poverty 21%
Infant Mortality 31/1K live births (55th)
Life expectancy 69 yrs
Children Aged <15 Yrs 48% of pop
Median Age 16 yrs
Literacy 77%
Languages English (official), Ganda or Luganda, other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili (official), Arabic
Religions Protestant 45% (mostly Anglican), Roman Catholic 39%, Muslim 14%, other 2%
Health 7% of GDP
Education 2% of GDP (161st)
Military 2% of GDP (53rd)
Labor Force Agriculture 71%, industry 7%, services 22%
PCVs 1964–1972, 1991–1999, 2001–present/2020 CURRENT: 0 TTD: 1,859
Adult Books
By Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Tin House Books (2020)
ISBN: 978-1-951142-04-9
Summary:
Raised by the community of women in her tiny village, thirteen-year-old Kirabo yearns to learn about her absent mother. Hoping to discover the hidden truth about her mother’s life, she sets out on a village-wide campaign of questioning and story sharing, even seeking out the company of a knowledgeable witch. In the process, she gains not only a sense of the enigma shrouding her birth but also a new understanding of her changing inner self as she approaches womanhood.
“Makumbi’s prose is irresistible and poignant, with remarkable wit, heart and charm―poetic and nuanced, brilliant and sly, openhearted and cunning, balancing discordant truths in wise ruminations.” (The New York Times Book Review)
Kids' Books
By Tina Athaide
Format: 328 pp; illustrations
ISBN: 978-0-06-279529-5
Age Range: 8-12 years
Publisher: New York: Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HaperCollins, 2019
Summary:
A story told in alternating voices friends Asha, African, and Yesofu, Indian, who are living in Uganda in 1972. The two children are devastated when Idi Amin announces that Indians have ninety days to leave the country.
Films
Film: 94 Terror
Director:
Country: Uganda
Filming Locations: Kasensero, Rakai, Uganda
Release Date: December 2018 (Uganda)
Language: Kinyarwanda, English
Run Time: 106 minutes
Sound Mix: Stereo
Color: Color
Summary: Keza, a survivor of the Tutsi and Hutu slaughter that happened in the 1994 Rwanda genocide, tells the struggle and loss of her beloved family and her escape across the river Kagera into Uganda.
After the assassination of Rwanda President Juvenal Habyarimana, the Hutus condemned the Tutsis and invaded their homesteads, killing whoever looked Tustsi. Keza's family was murdered as she watched. She narrowly escaped with the help of her friends: Shema—a Hutu, and Mutesi—a Tutsi. Together they must sneak through the bush to make it out of Rwanda alive.
Winner of Best Viewers’ Choice Movie Award at the 2018 Uganda Film Festival Awards.
Winner of the Best Costume award at The African Film Festival (TAFF) in Dallas, Texas, in 2019.
Music
Ojambo Andre, known by his stage name Daddy Andre or “Andre on de beat,” is a Ugandan recording artist, songwriter, producer. He sings in more than three languages. His music genre specialty is Afrobeat, Hip hop, Dancehall, Afro-pop, and RnB.
Recipes
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Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin-Madison is a public charity registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States. Its EIN is 39-1669348. It is also an affiliate group of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).
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