The inflation rate in Uganda has gone very high prompting the prices of various items to go way higher than they have ever gone in the new millennium.
Ugandans are feeling financial pressure because of the higher prices in food. For instance, Posho which was previously affordable by most of the population now costs a fortune to an average Ugandan who lives on less than $1 a day. A kilogram of Posho is now at 1,700 shillings and the prices could go higher by day, a few months back, such an amount would get you almost two kilograms of Posho.
Millions of Ugandans are living below the poverty level, and they go through the day without most of the necessities in life because they can’t afford it. This inflation is most likely leading to more atrocities than good; more children are likely getting malnourished because of the rise in the prices of food, more Ugandans are likely dying in the hospitals because of lack of enough medical care (a few days back an infant died due to over bleeding because of lack of enough medical care from the hospital), more children are likely withdrawing from school or losing quality education because they can no longer afford the rising prices of tuition fees in the institutions of learning mostly in the privately owned institutions which offer the most quality education compared to the government institutions. More pregnant women are likely aborting because of the hopeless feeling of how they will sufficiently provide for their babies, more mothers are likely dumping their children onto the streets because they don’t know how they will take care of them in the midst of the sky rocketing prices of food and other items.
We at Joy of A Child have however not lost hope, we believe that God is entirely the provider of good health, food, education; and nothing in this world shakes the King of Kings. Therefore, in this challenging season we believe God will provide, where others see no hope, we are seeing hope. Just a few days back when Uncle David went shopping, he was shocked to find that the 50 kilograms of Posho he had a few weeks ago bought at 65,000 shillings (about $30) now cost 85,000 shillings (about $40), the Ground nut paste (a delicacy in the house) had doubled in price, the price of beans had also gone higher than the previous, these he didn’t buy because they were too expensive to fit the JOAC budget.
As previously noted, God is the provider in this home; Uncle David then checked out the JOAC garden of beans whether they were ready for harvest, indeed they were ready for harvest. Joseph, Auntie Jen, Conrad, Moreen, and Ruth set out to the garden (about 15 minutes walk from the house) for the harvest; they harvested a sack of beans that has seen the kids through a number of days. Today being a Saturday when most of the kids are home, around seven of them have gone back to the garden to make another harvest of beans.
The garden is only half an acre, if it were bigger; the harvest would be a lot better.
As we go through this moment of inflation in Uganda, please pray that the situation will get back to normal. Continue praying for the JOAC ministry, that God will continue providing for every need, we also need more land that will see the ministry grow more food.
Blog by: Joseph
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