About Uganda
Uganda is a landlocked country in eastern Africa, surrounded by Kenya to the east, Sudan to the north,
the Republic of Congo to the west, and Tanzania to the south.
Uganda obtained formal independence
from Great Britain in 1962. In 1967, traditional kingdoms in the country were abolished, and a constitution
proclaimed the country a republic. The following years were full of political and economic instability,
which included the ousting of political figures, various military coups, guerrilla wars, social disintegration,
and massive human rights violations. The constitution was ratified in 1995, establishing executive,
legislative, and judicial branches of the government, and provided for an executive president to be elected
every five years. However, the first multi-party election in Uganda was not held until 2006.
Political instability and erratic economic management over the last almost fifty years has resulted in an
economic decline that has left Uganda among the world's poorest and least-developed countries.
(Source: U.S. Department of State)
Literacy in Uganda
The current literacy rate in Uganda is 68% (CIA World Factbook), largely in part due to the inaccessibility of reading materials to children and the general population. Schools in Uganda are generally overcrowded and under-funded, with most classrooms being lucky to have one textbook for every twenty students. Some schools only have one textbook per classroom, but some don't have any, and most schools do not have any books for leisure reading. Due to previous regulation and fees associated with education, much of the older generation in rural areas did not have the chance to obtain an education, and are, as a result, illiterate. This has resulted in parents being unable to teach their children to read and write until they are old enough and have the resources available to go to school themselves.