The Republic of Uganda, home to 27 million people, is located in East Africa. It borders Tanzania and Rwanda in the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the west, Sudan in the north, and Kenya in the east. In addition to its own citizens, Uganda hosts thousands of refugees from Sudan, Congo and Rwanda.

Due to the AIDS epidemic, half of Uganda’s population is under the age of 15. AIDS and other diseases have brought a shorter life expectancy and high infant mortality rates. Good medical care is often scarce. The per capita Gross Domestic Product is $900 per year (PPP basis), and 35% of the population lives below the poverty line.

About 80 percent of Ugandans live in rural areas, working in agriculture. Many speak English – the official national language – in addition to Swahili or one of the Bantu languages.