After several military coups and political instability throughout the 1970s-80s, a new constitution was made in October 1995 establishing governance with an executive branch lead by the president and assisted by a prime minister, a unicameral parliament (some elected and some representatives of districts or particular groups), and a judiciary system with a supreme court. With this political stability, the economy has become one of the most rapidly growing in Africa and government programs have successfully helped to diminish the AIDs epidemic. The nation has also been "particularly successful in soliciting international support and loans" which has aided economic growth [Britannica Encyclopedia].
Uganda is a landlocked state in east-central Africa that has an equatorial tropical climate moderated by elevations and Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa, to the south. It receives adequate precipitation with two wet seasons in the south where there is more rain and fertile soil and a single wet season in the north. Southern Uganda has experienced high levels of deforestation, but 10 national parks across Uganda protect large regions of the country's area.
Uganda's population is predominantly rural (89% rural, 11% urban in 2021) and Kampala is the largest and capital city of Uganda. After gaining independence from Britain in October 1962, Uganda's population has grown from about 7 million to 45 million today, and the population is predominantly young (75% under 29). The borders are based upon arbitrary boundaries set by colonial powers in the 19th century that comprised of two different types of societies: the relatively centralized Bantu peoples in the south and the more nomadic Nilotic and Sudanic peoples in the north.
There are many ethnic groups in Uganda with over 32 languages spoken throughout the country. The primary ethnic groups are based upon the Nilotic North and Bantu South. The official languages are English (used in education and government) and Swahili (to facilitate communication with neighboring countries). The Ganda language is also commonly spoken. Christianity is the predominant religion, helping to unite the diverse groups in Uganda. There are additionally sizable populations that practice Islam and indigenous religions.
The economy is primarily agricultural (4/5ths of the workforce) with cattle keeping in the north and sedentary agriculture in south. Cash crops include coffee, tea, and cotton and food crops include maize, millet, beans, and sorghum.
Read more at Britannica Encyclopedia.
Poverty Rate in Uganda 1989-2019
Poverty Rate in Uganda: 91.1% in 2019, a 1.2% increase from 2016
Electricity Access: 45.22% in 2021
Source: World Bank; Received from MacroTrends
Fort Portal ,Uganda is the location of the headquarters for the African STEM Education Initiative, ASEI, a non-profit company focused on encouraging education through community and youth STEM projects. We work with Andrew Mayanja, the senior manager of innovation, on ISECooker design and insulation.
Togo gained independence from French colonial power in 1960. A new constitution was established in 1992 (which has since been amended) and set up an elected president as the head of state, a National Assembly that is directly elected, and a Supreme Court system that leads the judiciary system. A prime minister from the legislative majority is appointed by the president. For elections in Togo, there is universal suffrage.
Togo is located in Western Africa along the Gulf of Guinea. The capital city Lomé is the largest city and home to the country's largest port, making it an economic center. A tropical climate with 35-70 inches of precipitation annually and a mean annual temperature high 70s on the coast/mountains and high 80s in the northern plateau (with minima in the high 60s and maxima in the low 100s) defines the climate. In the north, harmattan (dust-laden wind), prevails during the dry season (September - June), effecting agricultural capabilities.
The official language is French, although it is typically reserved for business and government. Commonly spoken languages are from the Niger-Congo language family.
The population is mostly made up of Christians (about 50% of the population), as well as remaining sizeable populations that practice Islam or traditional beliefs.
Most people live in small rural villages (57% rural, 43% urban in 2022).
2/3rds of the population is under 29 years and they have a population growing faster than the average rate in sub-Saharan Africa, meaning that the average family size is ___.
The economy primarily reliese on agriculture – coffee, cocoa beans, and peanuts – and valuable phosphate reserves. Slash-and-burn agriculture and the demand for wood fuel have lead to large rates of deforestation and have diminished the proportion of Togo’s forest cover. Fish from the coast is mostly consumed locally. The ISECooker is designed to help mitigate the demand for wood fuel by providing a sustainable solar alternative.
See more at Britannica Encyclopedia.
Our collaborator, Salma, has a workshop and an electric business in Atakpame, Togo where he has started to produce and experiment with ISECooker technology. See more about him in Pete's sabbatical trip log in fall 2022.