No matter the crisis, we won’t stop fueling a brighter future.
From a food shortage to economic instability to climate extremes, and now a rapidly-developing Ebola outbreak, it has been one of the toughest years in living memory for many of our far away friends in Uganda.
This #GivingTuesday we're celebrating all we’ve accomplished together, and raising $25,000 to help fuel even more success stories for students in 2023.
About the Crisis in Uganda
According to the UN and WHO, over 50 million people in Eastern Africa will face acute food insecurity this year. In a world that has become increasingly connected, when tragedy strikes one region, it affects us all.
A combination of climate extremes, economic shocks, another Ebola outbreak, and even the impact the conflict in Ukraine has had on food and energy prices has meant a drastic increase in prices for all of our programs.
In 2023, we want to ensure that we can continue empowering and fueling the next generation of young Ugandan leaders — no matter what challenges come our way. Together, we are unstoppable.
Your $100 gift helps cover the cost of educating and empowering one student through our programs in rural Uganda for a year.
Climate Extremes: Throughout 2022, food prices have more than tripled in Uganda, leaving millions at risk of famine and hundreds of thousands near-starving. This compounded with the worst March-May drought the region has seen in 40 years means farmers don’t have food to sell or eat; because of this, the country is forced to import food from surrounding areas, forcing prices to rise even higher, making imported food completely out of reach for those experiencing poverty.
What about Ukraine? The conflict in Ukraine has played a huge role in the rising crises of the region. Much of East Africa’s grain is imported from Ukraine, which exports nearly 30% of the world’s grain annually. According to the World Food Program, wheat prices in Africa have increased by 50% this year, which is only expected to increase as the conflict continues. Without access to this essential food exporter, the World Health organization expects East Africa might face its worst famine in nearly 70 years.
Why Kids Face the Worst of It: Between the conflict in Ukraine, economic shocks post-Covid, and increasing climate extremes, the people of East Africa and Uganda specifically are up against an unprecedented level of crisis. Many families will face famine, and will have to keep their kids home due to lack of money to pay school fees. This likely means students will not be able to return to school even after the crises stabilize, and Uganda will have to face a new crisis: a generation of young people without the education or the tools to pull themselves or their families out of poverty.
