kids in the village

URF focuses on rural communities of Masaka and Rakai Districts in South Western Uganda. The area has very little infrastructure (clean water, sanitation, electricity, roads, medical care). These two Districts are among the areas most devastated by the AIDS epidemic. An estimated 940,000 people are living with HIV, with the national HIV prevalence rate of 6.4%. Uganda lies on the East coast of Africa with a population of 30.6 million, of which 2.0 million are orphan children. Over 80% of the population live in rural villages and are dependent on subsistence farming, surviving on less than $1 a day. The literacy rate lags at 69% and is mostly reflected in the rural communities where the cycle of poverty has made it nearly impossible for families to educate their children. The available schools lack resources such as libraries, science labs, trained teachers, and computers which are essential for academic success. At URF, we have set forth to partner with these communities in their efforts to define appropriate sustainable development solutions, empowering people to help themselves, one village at a time