RACOBAO operates in the Rakai and Lyantonde districts of Uganda. In Rakai district, RACOBAO operates primarily in the three sub-counties of Lwamaggwa, Kacheera and Kagamba with a total population of 77,137. We operate in the whole of Lyantonde, including the sub-counties of Kasagama, Kinuuka, Kaliiro, Mpumudde, and Lyantonde rural areas and Lyantonde town with a population of 66,175 people.
The local economy in the two districts is primarily agricultural. Subsistence cultivation is the principal means of livelihood for 70% of Rakai’s population. Food insecurity is a major periodical threat. Every three years, the area experiences prolonged dry spell resulting into famine, which exacerbates the AIDS problem.
Adequate rainfall coupled with moderate temperatures during the rainy seasons ensures a favorable agricultural environment in the lake zone. Whilst in the northwest with its predominant savanna grassland is mostly suitable for livestock production. In the two districts, increasing deforestation due to overgrazing, cutting of trees for fuel and clearing forests for more agricultural land is already evident. This has significantly affected agricultural productivity. The amount of rainfall received in this area has drastically reduced owing to overgrazing and deforestation in a bid to acquire more agricultural land.
Poverty is endemic in the two districts; over 70% of the households are estimated to survive below the Uganda’s subsistence level of Ugshs.5000 (USD $3.00) per week. The community has to strive hard to find a source of livelihood and survival. With lack of adequate income, it is increasingly harder for vulnerable households to access food, medical care and other basic necessities of life.
Many of the problems associated with poverty, such as food insecurity, ill health and poor nutrition have been exacerbated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The first AIDS cases in Uganda were recorded in Rakai district in 1982, and today, the prevalence rate among adults aged 15-54 is estimated at 9 - 12% as compared to the national average of 6.2%. Currently, there are strong efforts by government, mission groups and NGOs aimed at combating its spread. Available statistics reveal a marked decline in HIV prevalence in Rakai from 25% in 1993, 11.6% in 1999 and 9% in 2003. However, the current prevalence is 12%.