by Halima Abdallah Kisule
- Uganda -

Scores of Ugandans continue to bleach their skin despite a government ban on the sale of several lotions, creams, gels and soaps which are largely used to whiten, even and tone the skin.

• In extreme cases of skin bleaching, the skin can become multi-colored and marred with inflammation or scarring. Photograph courtesy of Halimah Abdallah Kisule. •

Medically, skin whitening (or bleaching) products are used for treating pigmentation disorders like freckles, pregnancy marks, blotchy uneven skin tone, patches of brown to gray skin and age spots. Skin pigmentation occurs because the body either produces too much or too little melanin, the pigment responsible for creating the color of our eyes, skin and hair. It also provides crucial protection against the sun’s rays by absorbing ultra-violet light. Doctors say that those with darker skin are less susceptible to sunburn and the overall effects of sun damage.

by Halimah Abdallah Kisule
- Uganda -

Ms Akullo Flavia, a retail shop owner in a Kampala suburb, stands puzzled in the local market not knowing what to buy for supper. Her initial plan to buy fresh fish is ruined - there is no fish for sale at the stalls. A local hajati, or fish dealer, is disappointed too. She explains that the moon’s recent brightness is helping the big fish to see the net and escape. The little fish that get trapped in the nets are all sold on the beaches at much higher prices to the waiting refrigerator trucks of fish processing companies who export to countries like China and several parts of Europe. Officials from the fisheries department say that even these companies are facing a deficit and only exporting a third of their capacity due to declining fish populations in the lakes and rivers.

by Halimah Abdallah Kisule
Uganda

• A roadside billboard in Zambia encourages the community to spray.
Photograph by Valentina Baj. •

In Uganda alone, 50 million man-hours are lost per year and 43% of school absenteeism can be attributed to malaria. The country’s Ministry of Health spends 10% of its annual budget on malaria efforts; 23-40% of all outpatient clinic visitors and 50% of all inpatient admissions are for malaria. And pregnant women are especially at risk: they are four times as likely to contract malaria than their non-pregnant counterparts; malaria can also lead to miscarriages. Over 100,000 people in Uganda die preventable deaths each year.

by Halimah Abdallah Kisule
Uganda

• In Uganda, the widespread burning of counterfeit CDs has robbed musicians of their due. Photograph by Indi Samarajiva. •

As a result, individuals and organizations regularly infringed on the rights of artists, oftentimes pirating, duplicating and playing their music with impunity for economic gain. And the impunity continues to this day, one year after the Copy Right and Neighboring Rights Act 2006 was introduced into law.

Artists and other writers have long campaigned for a law that protects their work. Thanks to parliament and the cabinet, who presented the bill, they now have their wish.

by Halima Abdallah K.
- Uganda -

• Photograph by Tavis K Beaubier •

According to the Ministry, of approximately 26.5 million people living in the country, these orphans constitute about 9% of the total population.

A report released last year by the Ministry of Health in Uganda reveals that of the two million orphans in the country, about half are HIV/AIDS orphans. Of these children, 84,000 are under 14 years of age and living with the virus. The Ministry also estimates that there are 2,697 children with multiple disabilities, a fact that makes them even more vulnerable and likely to live in dire poverty.

by Halima Abdallah Kisule
Kampala, Uganda

Kenya, however, may not be a safe haven for the warriors as a similar disarmament exercise is taking place. Both Kenya and Uganda maintain liaison officers in each other’s countries.

Sudan, which is a big source of guns, is not yet on board. That is why Uganda’s Minister of Defense plans to meet his Sudanese counterpart soon to address the issue of Toposa who cross the border to raid in Uganda. The two ministers will also talk about the gun market inside Sudan.

By Halima Abdallah Kisule
Kampala, Uganda

The ongoing disarmament process in Karamoja has taken a nasty turn as Karachunas (warriors) are engaging the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers in battle, escalating an already bad security situation in the region.

For a long time, the warriors furthered illegal gun trafficking with weapons sourced from Sudan and Kenya. They also engaged in cattle rustling, looting, ambushes, and the killings and raping of women within and outside Karamoja, ultimately sending thousands of people in the neighboring areas within Uganda into displacement for the past 20 years.