Please take a moment to look at the links below. They will take you to the websites of organizations dedicated to helping humanity.
In March and April of this year we focused on Dr. Ken Magee (pictured below) and his trip to Uganda. His communications are posted to the left and titled "Uganda (along with the date)". We also added links to other sites that are active throughout the world in helping people. We hope to bring our visitors a different perspective as Ken works with other members of Medical Teams International to aid people in this troubled area of Africa. Below is his overview about Uganda, the people that he helped, and the conditions of the area. If you would like to learn more about Medical Teams International and how you can help, we have added information about their organization along with a link to their site. Below you will also find a report by Katy Pownall of the Associated Press which points out funding shortages for food from the U.N.
Uganda is a country in Central Africa, about the size of Oregon. Surrounding countries include Kenya to the East, Tanzania and Rwanda to the South, Congo to the West and Sudan to the North. Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, is also to the South. High mountains rise in the East and the West, (As high as 14,000 to 16,000 feet), and a high plateau at about 4,000 feet spreads in between. The various tributaries of the White Nile River originate in this country. The equator crosses the Southern part of Uganda. It is WARM.
It has a growing population of over 26 million people of various tribal backgrounds. Average family size is 6 to 7 children. Its largest city is Kampala, the capitol, with over a million people. The official language is English, but other tribal languages are common.
Wildlife has diminished much in past years with some species becoming extinct. Recently there has been a small increase. Gorillas still live in the mountains near Rwanda and Chimpanzees live nearby. Other wildlife, found in scattered areas, includes elephants, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, and various kinds of antelope.
It had been a colony of the British for nearly one hundred years. It is sad that Uganda has gone through years of warfare since the 1960's. The infamous Idi Amin was one of several leaders who perpetuated terrible things. The government of the last fifteen years has been more stable but a rebel group in the North calling themselves "The Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) has caused more than turmoil in both Sudan and Uganda as well as into Congo and Kenya. According to many writings, they have killed thousands of people of all ages, have forcibly conscripted children to fight, have raped and have ravaged some refugee camps. Negotiations are now in progress with the LRA, and atrocities have lessened.
As a result there are about 300,000 refugees from other countries and about 1,500,000 IDP's (Internally Displaced Peoples) in refugee camps. Many , about 1/2 million, are from the Acholi Tribe in the Gulu and Kitgum districts near Sudan. Tiny clinics are being developed. Diseases and malnutrition are rampant. One listing of the doctor patient ratio in this part of Uganda is 1/150,000.
It is this area, IDP camps near Gulu, to which I and two other medical personell have been assigned. The seven camps we will be primarily visiting have about 50,000 people. We expect Malaria, HIV- AIDs, TB, Cholera, Malnutition and many other ailments. Infant and maternal death rate is high. No doubt there will also be problems of terror and grief.
Pray for us that we may do a good job and help to lay good groundwork for the future. Pray for the people there and for us that we may stay strong and healthy and wise in our many decisions. (I will have to get used to pit toilets again; pray that I don't fall in.) Pray that we may have adequate supplies. May our God be honored.
Sincerely, Ken Magee
Founded in 1979 as Northwest Medical Teams, Medical Teams International is a non-profit humanitarian relief and development organization that exists to demonstrate the love of Christ to people affected by disaster, conflict and poverty. In its 28-year history, Medical Teams International has deployed more the 1,500 volunteer teams and shipped more than $1 billion in antibiotics, surgical kits and lifesaving medicines to care for 35 million people in 70 countries.
www.medicalteams.org
Our mission is to advance the Total Health of people living in the world's poorest communities.
We carry out that mission in the broad programmatic areas of community health development, disease prevention and eradication, relief and rehabilitation and global health advocacy.
For more information about MAP International and how you can help, visit their site at: www.map.org
Make a difference at: www.one.org
March 16, 2007, 2:09PM
Funding shortage reduces U.N. food rations in Uganda
By KATY POWNALL
Associated Press
KAMPALA, Uganda — A funding shortage is causing the U.N. to cut in half its daily rations for nearly 1.5 million people in Uganda displaced by war, officials said Friday.
Starting in April, the food ration will be half the minimum daily requirement for a person because of a $90 million shortfall, the U.N.'s World Food Program said.
Women, children and the elderly will be hardest hit and malnutrition may increase, the agency said.
Malnutrition is already high in many of the squalid camps where families who have fled fighting have set up makeshift homes.
"These people are likely to suffer a deterioration in their nutritional condition which will make them vulnerable to disease," Alix Loriston, the deputy head of WFP in Uganda, told The Associated Press. "We expect hospitals will have increased admissions from malnutrition which is already bad in the camps."
The food agency spends about $11 million a month to feed war-displaced people and families hit by drought.
If the funding shortages continue, the agency said cuts will have to be made in popular school food programs for 600,000 children and support for people with HIV/AIDS.
AP-WS-03-16-07 1348EDT