COUNTRY
YIMUKA's activities take place in Uganda.
Located on the equator, Uganda is nicknamed the Pearl of Africa for its beauty and diversity. The size of Uganda is about 2/3 the size of Germany. The country borders the largest lake in Africa, Lake Victoria. From this lake, the Nile flows further north.
The wildlife of Uganda is breathtaking: The “Big Five” (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) live in Uganda, but also giraffes, hippos and chimpanzees. Over 70% of mountain gorillas are native to Uganda.
Temperatures range from 15° to 30° all year round. The tropical climate allows for two harvests. Uganda is actively committed to peace and regional cooperation in Africa.
The about 47 million people in Uganda are very friendly and peaceful.
PEOPLE
People are what drives us.
With almost 6 children, Uganda has the second highest birth rate in the world. More than 70% of the residents are under 18 years old. More than 90% of young people later want to start their own business.
Uganda’s government is pursuing a very generous refugee policy, which is recognized worldwide as exemplary. The approx. 1.4 million refugees (approx. 3% of the population) can move freely in the country and are allowed to work.
Despite the significantly improved level of education, competition for jobs is very strong. The high job pressure keeps corruption high and suppresses the willingness to protect the tropical environment. 80% of university graduates cannot find a job that matches their studies and work as day labourers.
ECONOMY
Challenges and opportunities.
The strong population growth clearly exceeds the economic growth. The productivity of the economy is stagnating and thus the gross domestic product per inhabitant and hourly wages are falling.
The average income in Uganda is around USD 1.90 per day. The health system is poorly developed; the average life expectancy is 63 years.
More than 70% of the population cooks with charcoal. For this alone, an average of 20,000 trees are cleared every day. In addition, charcoal is exported to neighboring countries. The value of a tree’s charcoal is approximately $150.
In its strategy paper for Uganda’s economy published in 2019, the World Bank recommends focusing on improving productivity in agriculture, promoting the consolidation of the entrepreneurial landscape into larger companies with employees and expanding exports.