Masaka, Uganda

There will be no posts on my main blog for a couple of weeks now. I'm leaving today for another trip to Uganda. I'll be spending some time with our adopted children there, and attending to some business related to them. I'll also be teaching at a conference in Masaka, Uganda. If you'd like to know more about Masaka - read on.

Masaka is a town of about 70,000 people situated in Uganda about 80 miles south of the capital city, Kampala. It is about 30miles south of the Equator.

Masaka Town is the regional capital for the 4 districts of Masaka, Rakai, Sembabule and Kalangala. It’s population is about 70,000 and most of them are children.

This region has been the worst hit area in the whole of Uganda by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For a long time it was the area with the highest percentage of sufferers in Uganda.

In addition the district of Masaka suffered more than any other during the 1979 Civil War to remove Iddi Amin from the presidency of Uganda and again in the second Civil War to remove president Milton Obote from power (1985/86). The result of all this is that many bread winners have died leaving many orphans.

It is said that hopelessness and apathy rule many of the people in Masaka. But there are now sure signs of development. Roads are being repaired and new buildings are springing up. Religiously, there are about 30 independent Christian churches in Masaka, together with Church of Uganda an off-shoot of the Church of England and the Episcopal church in America) and Roman Catholic churches.