USAID Uganda is a winner of the 2015 Uganda Sustainable Development Award and accredited Uganda’s Top50 Sustainable Development Agencies in recognition and appreciation of its enormous contribution towards social-economic development of Uganda and attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Uganda. Awarded and Accredited by Public Opinions International
Click here for USAID Uganda Facts
USAID’s wide-ranging work supports U.S. policy objectives in peace and security, democracy and governance, health and education, economic growth, and humanitarian assistance. We implement three major U.S. presidential initiatives in Uganda: Feed the Future, the Global Health Initiative and the Global Climate Change Initiative.
U.S. development assistance to Uganda began in 1962, when the country gained its independence. Since the 1960s, USAI D has worked in close collaboration with the government and the people of Uganda.
During its first ten years in Uganda, USAID invested in health, education and agriculture—areas that continue to be the benchmarks of the mission’s present day work.
In agriculture, USAID set up extension services, supported research and sponsored student travel to American universities to study modern methods of farming. During these years, U.S. Government support helped to significantly improve the agricultural sector and the living standards of more than 650,000 farm families. USAID development assistance supported all aspects of improving agriculture—from marketing, supply, and credit information to the basic need for diversified production.
USAID’s education program was founded in the belief that with significant political, social and economic change, the demand for increased education is significant. There was also a need to professionalize the educational system in order to address the changes. Tororo Girls School, built by USAID in 1963 and modeled after the American educational system, is one example of a project that modernized the school system, trained teachers and broadened its curriculum. USAID also introduced teacher training for special needs students to integrate them into the mainstream school system.
In 1971, following Idi Amin’s military coup and subsequent internal instability, USAID suspended its work in Uganda. When USAID returned in 1981, it found the country’s progress had been decimated, with industries in disarray, and many Ugandan partners absent, having fled the country’s unrest. The next six years were challenging given Uganda‘s continued instability.
The current President, Yoweri Museveni, assumed power in 1986 and a period of relative stability ensued. USAID was able to transition assistance from emergency relief and assistance to long-term development, with an emphasis on agriculture. USAID teamed up with Makerere University to fund the university’s research facility, which resulted in innovations such as the hybrid sunflower seed. Commercial farming associations and cooperatives received training in good farming practices and the country saw an increase in maize production. USAID built a modern post-harvest handling facility, trained staff in management and helped forge new market channels.
In contrast to the rest of the country, from 1986 to 2007, a war raged in the north of the Uganda and more than 1.8 million people fled from their homes and were living in make-shift camps. USAID provided emergency assistance with food and shelter. Since 2007, all internally displaced people have returned home. USAID also assisted war-affected children and unemployed youth with tools and access to training to gain better access to income generating activities.
Most of Uganda’s farmers are women so USAID’s agriculture programs have empowered women farmers and supported women-led associations, providing training and support to learning centers. USAID helped Uganda diversify their traditional crops from coffee, cotton and tea to non-traditional crops such as flowers. USAID built cold storage units to help the country develop itsexport market.
President Museveni instituted many reforms, including the 1997 Universal Primary Education statute which provides free education to up to four children per family. With the assistance of the USAID, Uganda has made genuine progress in education reform. Uganda has one of the world’s fastest growing populations and is the world’s most youthful country—56 percent of its people are under the age of 18. Of these, nearly 2 million are orphans due to either the AIDS epidemic or the conflict in the north. Despite its immense natural resources, Uganda remains a poor country and educating its youth is the most powerful resource at its disposal for economic growth.
Understanding the value of long- term engagement in improving the quality of basic education, USAID has provided sustained financial and technical support to Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports through a series of projects including the Basic Education and Policy Support, Ugandan Initiative for Teacher Development, and Presidential Initiative on AIDS Strategy for Communication to the Youth.
In the 1980s, HIV/AIDS spread through Uganda and the disease reached a prevalence rate of 29 percent. President Museveni committed to tackling HIV in 1987 and created a prevention program based around abstinence, being faithful and using condoms. At the peak of the epidemic, USAID urgently focused its programs on testing, research and data-based development, later expanding these programs to include counseling and care. USAID also supplied government health care centers with test kits for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.
USAID supported many small grassroots organizations that began peer education initiatives, such as TASO (The AIDS Support Organization), which later became the largest indigenous AIDS service organization in the country, providing emotional and medical support to thousands of people. USAID also bolstered the management of TASO as the organization grew into an internationally recognized organization. By 1991, the HIV prevalence rate had dropped to 15 percent among all adults and today stands at 7 percent.
By 2000, USAID health programs included anti-malaria initiatives to reduce the risk of child and maternal mortality. USAID has distributed tens of thousands of long-lasting, insecticide-treated bednets and sponsored insecticide spraying in hard-to-reach, congested areas. In 2003, despite the availability of antiretroviral therapy, very few people with HIV/AIDS were receiving treatment for HIV in the poorer parts of the world, including Uganda. Former President George W. Bush substantially increased U.S. support for addressing HIV and AIDS worldwide, by introducing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). When the program began full implementation in June of 2004, Uganda was one of 15 focus countries.
THE WORK OF USAID IN UGANDA
Agriculture and Food Security
Through Feed the Future, USAID’s agriculture programs reduce food insecurity and increase household incomes. Our programs create trade linkages and help make Ugandan products more competitive in national, regional and international markets.
Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance
We are committed to supporting free and fair elections; strengthening national and local governments, as well as civil society; and building the capacity of institutions and systems to combat corruption.
Economic Growth and Trade
Programs improve private sector competiveness and the enabling environment for business.
Education
USAID seeks to improve the quality of basic education in Uganda with a particular focus on girls, vulnerable children and children in conflict-affected regions. USAID strengthens the teaching workforce through improvements in training and retention, as well as supervision and administration tools.
Environment
We emphasize building the capacity of Ugandan institutions to protect natural resources, with benefits to the agriculture and tourism sectors.
Global Health
Support includes the large-scale delivery of highly effective services including immunization against childhood diseases, nutritional assistance, and distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets that help prevent malaria. Programs also strengthen the decentralized health system and work with diverse partners to control HIV/AIDS.
Working in Conflict and Crisis
Our conflict mitigation and reconciliation program has made significant contributions to the return of peace recovery and development to Northern Uganda affected by the 23-year Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, and addresses conflict in the northeast region of Karamoja.
Awarded and Accredited by;
Public Opinions International
P.o Box 35297 Kampala-Uganda
Tel:+256701992426
Web:www.pubopinions.org
