Where We Work

URF focuses on the rural communities of Masaka and Rakai Districts in southwestern 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. As of 2020, an estimated 1.4 million people in Uganda are living with HIV, with the national HIV prevalence rate of 5.4%. Uganda lies on the east coast of Africa with a population of 44.7 million. Around 75% 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 76.5% and is mostly reflected in the rural communities where the cycle of poverty has made it nearly impossible for families to educate their children. Schools in the area lack resources such as libraries, science labs, trained teachers, and computers, all of which are essential for academic success.