Mission, By-Laws, and Facts

Our Mission

The mission of Global African Village is to supplement the efforts of the Bagishu people of eastern Uganda by improving the infrastructure (especially wells and latrines), providing health care and health education, improving and expanding our childcare facilities to assist vulnerable children, and helping with small-business development.

Objectives

To improve life for Uganda's Bagishu people by:

providing simple health education and information about preventing diseases such as diarrhea, sexually transmitted diseases, and malaria
improving existing wells and latrines and building additional wells and latrines
improving Joseph Community School and its two "satellite" schools
seeking grants to help people develop their small busienss and become more self-sustaining

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“…we all live in an interdependent world in which our survival depends upon an understanding that our common humanity is more important than our interesting and inevitable differences and that everyone matters. In Africa, where the first humans stood up on the savannah 150,000 years ago, some tribes have a remarkable way of greeting one another. When one person says hello, the response is ‘I see you.’ Think how much better the world would be if we actually saw each other.”

Former President Bill Clinton, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World (2007)

Our By-Laws

Annual Meetings: Board of Directors/Membership meetings will be held at least once a year, in June or July, or at any other time as decided by the membership.

Disciplinary Action: A member in good standing may forfeit his/her status by violating the Bylaws of the organization.

Amendment to the Bylaws: This may be the responsibility of the Board of Directors and membership, 2/3 of whom must approve of any changes in the by-laws.

Dissolution: Any assets and property of the organization may be disposed of in a manner that may be decided by the Board of Directors.

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Fact Sheet

Life expectancy in Uganda: Men: 50. Women: 52.

Literacy rate in Uganda: Men: 79.5% of the population. Women: 60.4%.

Infant Mortality Rate in Uganda: 67.22 deaths per 1,000 live births

Location: The Bagishu inhabit Masaba, one of the summits of Mt. Elgon, a lush and fertile land for growing a variety of crops. Mt. Elgon is in eastern Uganda, near the border of Kenya.

People: The Bagishu tribe, sometimes called the mountain people or Bamasaba, live about 4,000 meters above sea level in the village of Footo (pronounced "photo"). About 45% of the Bagishu are between the ages of 16-45.

Population: About 30,000

Income: About $40 per year. Uganda is one of the world's poorest countries.

Occupation: Subsistence farming

Crops: Arabica coffee is a cash crop. Green bananas, beans, corn (maize), cabbage, and onions are also grown.

Education: High illiteracy and innumeracy. Only about 20% graduate from high school.

Poverty: Disposable income is very limited. As a result, school attendance has, until recently, been very costly. There has been universal primary education for the past two years.

Life Expectancy: 41 years.

Children: Most children suffer physically, socially, and economically. Many children die prematurely from malaria, diarrhea, and starvation.

Elderly: Many of the elderly are vulnerable and die of the same problems.

Medical care: Medical facilities are scarce. Many people have no access to transportation, and the roads are poorly maintained and impassable at times.

Potential: The Gishu people are a resilient people. If given a hand, they have great potential. They are a spiritual people and culturally receptive.

Traditions: Male circumcision is a traditional practice.