Uganda
© Sächsische Staatskanzlei
In 2019, Saxony's governing coalition had established a coalition agreement to pursue a partnership in Africa. And Uganda turned out to be one of the focus countries of Saxony's civil-society activities on that continent. Few other sub-Saharan countries can lay claim to having so many Saxon development associations working on the ground – a fact confirmed by a study published in 2020 by the Dresden-based United Nations University Institute, UNU-FLORES.
In a bid to develop and intensify co-operations with Uganda, a delegation led by State Minister and State Chancellery Head Oliver Schenk travelled to Uganda from 18 to 23 June 2022.
On 31 January 2023, the Saxon state government ruled that it would pursue a closer co-operation with Uganda. The Entwicklungspolitisches Netzwerk Sachsen (ENS) is dedicated to further consolidating the co-operation and supporting civil-society players. The ENS' target audience is civil society as a whole, including schools, municipal governments and even sporting and cultural associations.
On 18 June 2024, the Saxon state government formalised a partnership between the Free State of Saxony and Uganda.
- Saxony formalises partnership with Uganda Saxon State Chancellery media information
Saxon television documented Uganda's potential in a detailed piece:
Associations having long-time relations with Uganda:
Amali e.V., based in the Vogtland town of Grünbach, co-operates with the Organisation Hope for the Needy, based in the Ugandan town of Kitokolo, in matters relating to health and education.
The Aktionsgemeinschaft für Kinder- und Frauenrechte (Akifra) e.V. attends to specific matters pertaining to women and girls. In Uganda, Akifra works with a women's group in the district of Tororo.
In 2012, Arche noVa e.V. began setting up its regional office in Nairobi, Kenya, based on a co-operation with the Katosi Women Development Trust. A number of water and hygiene-related projects have already been carried out in Katosi. The primary focus of all projects is empowerment for women.
The Verein für afrikanisch-europäische Verständigung (Afropa) e.V. has supported several projects in Kitgum, northern Uganda, and Kisoga, not far from Lake Victoria.
The AG Quicklebendig is an informal association of people from the Vogtland region. It is run by filmmaker and musician Michael Rischer from Pausa. He and his wife discovered their love for Uganda during a 2012 film project on child soldiers. Since then, they have been collecting donations through means such as local rotary clubs and the Zoppoten parish, and carrying out projects in Uganda.
- AG Quicklebendig – A future through education in Uganda Website of Michael Rischer, MR-Filmproduktion
The Deseret Foundation e.V. has been co-operating with a school sponsor of the same name in Jinja since 2017.
The Freundeskreis Christlicher Mission e.V. has been co-operating with a number of church-based sponsors in Uganda since 2014.
The Gesellschaft für Entwicklung International (GENINSA) e.V. has been co-operating with the Lugazi Rural Development Trust since 2016 and the Katosi Women Development Trust since 2022.
While Know-how Global e.V. is yet to carry out any projects in Uganda, the association has successfully helped several other players establish sustainable work relations with Uganda.
The Omwana Kinder und Jugendhilfe e.V. focuses on music, co-operating with a music school in Mbale, eastern Uganda.
Schools for Uganda e. V. is supporting the construction of a school in Ibanda, which began in 2022.
2023 saw the Wasser ohne Grenzen e. V. association lodge its first application for a project in Uganda, where it supports an orphanage with on-site school.
The St. Benno Gymnasium grammar school in Dresden also maintains ties with Uganda. Father Frido Pflüger was the principal there from 1994 to 2003, after which he left Germany for East Africa, working as head of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Uganda until 2021. The JRS runs an education centre in Kampala, which provides schooling and training to some 1000 refugees every year.
- ST. BENNO-GYMNASIUM DRESDEN Aid project by the Kath. Schulwerk St. Benno e. V. for Father Pflüger SJ in Uganda
- Jesuit Refugee Service (Englisch)
Hayati e.V., operating primarily in Leipzig, supports an orphanage in Uganda.
