UGANDA Uganda is a young country with more than half the population under the age of 18. A startling percentage of them, such as the boy pictured here, have become orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, not to mention food shortages and poor access to health and social services.

SLOW BUT SURE St. Bonaventure’s motto “Slow But Sure” is printed on a sign in front of the school. Indeed, it may take some time, but the school is doing the best it can to educate its students with the few resources it has. Uganda eliminated school fees for primary school students in 1996, which had constituted a major source of funding for educational institutions.

WINDOW SEAT St. Bonaventure Primary School in Mulajje takes in orphans, who end up living in substandard housing on campus. There are no window coverings, no beds, no mosquito nets, no electricity and no water, except for what is collected at the nearest borehole (water source) each morning and evening.

JUMP ‘N’ PUMP The task of collecting water is given to the children of the village, many of whom have a hard time operating the lever that brings the water to the surface.

BALANCING ACT Maureen, a boarding school student, carries a full jerry can of water on her head.

MAKING A SPLASH The boarding school students taking turns cleaning the bathrooms outside the St. Bonaventure Primary School before classes begin in the morning.

BLUE BENSON A boarding school student gets ready to take a bath.

SHARING THE BURDEN After filling their containers of water — called a jerry can — children must walk home with their heavy load, which will be used for drinking, bathing, cleaning and cooking.

LUNCH LINE Children, whose parents can afford the school-supplied lunch, wait in line for their portion of porridge.

A NEW LEAF Primary school students on their lunch break share a cup of porridge, using leaves from a nearby tree to scoop their portions.

BELIEF SYSTEM Nearly half of Ugandans practice Catholicism, but some Mulajje villagers practice Islam and pagan religions. The St. Bonaventure Primary School educates children of all faiths.

A MOTHER'S ANGUISH Abandoned by her husband and unable to walk on her own, this woman is doing the best she can to care for her young child who is suffering from undiagnosed illness. She and her parents can’t afford medical care, so they pray he will get better.

HOPE “What is true of the individual will be tomorrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope.” — Mahatma Gandhi

SWEET LITTLE ANGEL Madame Maria’s daughter, Angel, still has the port for an intravenous drip attached to her hand. She’s recovering from malaria, which is Uganda’s biggest killer. Between 70,000 and 110,000 children in the country die from it each year. The treatment requires patients to be given the drip that takes four hours, three times a day.

STANDING WATER A girl fills a jerry can at a source of water contaminated by human and animal excrement, not to mention environmental waste from an unauthorized brickmaking operation. Many Ugandans do not have access to safe water from protected sources. As a result, they run the risk of serious illness while depending on unsafe sources, such as rivers, lakes and unprotected springs.

AGAINST ALL ODDS Joseph Ssekyanzi is not just another number. He is a young boy with incredible odds to surmount. His family is poor and can’t afford some of the most basic things people need for survival – food, clothing and water. That means Joseph is vulnerable to malnutrition, dehydration, and illness. For the last week, Joseph and his siblings have been going without medical care for the “fever” that has left them weak and dehydrated. They can’t afford to go to a health clinic for a diagnosis, let alone a cure. Most likely it is malaria, which is Uganda’s biggest killer. Between 70,000 and 110,000 children in the country die from it each year. Or, it could be water-borne illnesses, such as typhoid fever or dysentery caused by substandard drinking water and poor sanitation.

MATOKE There are many kinds of bananas that grow in Uganda, but one variety is an important form of sustenance and a cultural symbol to the Buganda tribe: Bitooke. It is used to make matoke, the main staple of the Ugandan diet. Most often, it’s mashed and steamed inside banana leaves.

THE GIFT Josephine, who works in the priests’ residence on the school grounds, painstakingly wraps plantains (for making matoke) in layers of banana leaves. The beautiful package is then steamed for two hours over hot coals.

HOSPITALITY After spending the night in the health clinic on the school campus, the staff provides a patient with matoke to eat for breakfast. “It won’t cure what ails me,” she says. “But at least my stomach will be full.”

SISTERHOOD In the Ugandan flag, red symbolizes the common bond among the country’s people. Here, the color is found in the traditional dress, known as gomesi, which are worn by Ugandan women.

STIRRING THE POT “It’s been more than a year since I’ve had meat,” says Marie, the leader of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at St. Bonaventure. “Thank you very much!” In preparation for a grand celebration, she and other volunteers spent all night preparing food for the entire community. Here, she stirs beef stew prepared with a cow purchased by the mzungus, an often-used term used to describe foreigners.

DRUM ROLL Special occasions call for drums, which are perhaps the most popular musical instruments in Uganda.