Buwooya Village, Uganda
Located in Buikwe District of Central Uganda, Buwooya is a small Village with around 6,000 inhabitants. Its 65kms only from Kampala City. It sometimes takes 2 to 3 hours to reach Buwooya village because roads are often extremely congested with traffic, especially during business hours.
Buwooya village is a remote, isolated village, crowded with fishermen and peasant farmers growing small amounts of crops for food. The main access roads to the village are rough, often muddy, dirt roads, which are at times difficult to traverse. We are located along beautiful Lake Victoria and the Mabira Forest, which is home to many endangered species and beautiful rainforest vegetation.
We are also just 15kms away from the White Nile; a major tributary of the famous Nile River. It is often said that Lake Victoria is a major source of the Nile River. Because Buwooya is such a remote and underdeveloped village, amenities are extremely limited. However, access to Internet, telephone, banks, recommended health care, and other services can be accessed in the closest town of Lugazi, 13 kms away. While remote, there is plenty to enjoy in Buwooya; the weather is beautiful, the people are friendly, the local food is diverse and unique, and there is plenty of nature and wildlife to Observe.
At the moment, there are no truly pertinent security threats in Uganda, especially in the Buikwe district. Threats occur very rarely and are generally isolated incidents which volunteers need not worry about. Despite being so close to the capital, Buwooya is one of the poorest areas in the country. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities for most of its residents.
Buwooya’s population is growing rapidly, as people living in more rural areas migrate in the hope of finding some work. This influx has resulted in an increase in informal settlements where living conditions are poor and basic services such as sewerage and clean running water are often not available.
Many hazards for Buwooya’s children
With many families living at a level well below the poverty line, children are deeply affected. Many do not have access to education or healthcare. Buwooya has quite a big number of orphaned and vulnerable Children. The main cause of this is HIV/AIDS. In Uganda it is customary for orphaned children to be taken in by other family members. However, when poverty is an issue, this is often not possible, since relatives do not have the wherewithal to look after any but their own offspring.
Where members of the extended family are able to look after another child, there is a preference for girls, since they are expected to help in the household and are likely to contribute to the family income by marrying young – almost half of all Ugandan girls marry before their eighteenth birthday. This means that boys are more likely than girls to finish their education. The level of illiteracy and the school dropout rate is very high amongst girls, in part because of early marriage and pregnancy. Overall, an estimated 50% of the local population does not complete primary schooling.
What are we doing to help?
We began working in Buwooya in 2017 and since then have considerably expanded our activities in the wider community. Our community programs have expanded we work in the wider community year on year, and we now work in other villages surrounding Buwooya Community. In the coming years we will be increasing our efforts further by fostering partnerships and networks of organization which aim to support and protect children at risk.
A brighter future
We are planning to construct a school, a Church and a medical Centre to attend to our people educationally, Spiritually and Physically. Alongside medical care and preventative medicine, we are going to establish a voluntary testing and counseling Centre for those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Our nursery and primary schools will provide a safe environment not only for those children whom we look after directly, but also those living in the surrounding area. Our primary school so far has a school roll of over 100 pupils.
Our care and concern continues well into adulthood. Our youth program will provides support as our young people develop the skills and attitudes necessary to take responsibility for their lives as independent adults.
We have been in Buwooya for over six years, and we will always be there for those who need a hand to hold!!
For more information about what we do in Buwooya, please contact us: [email protected]