WORLD

Sant'Egidio in Uganda: a new School of Peace on the outskirts of Kampala consolidates the alliance between youth and elderly

Nakulabye is a district of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. It is a densely populated area characterised by a large number of houses and shops. Despite its central location, Nakulabye is considered one of the poorest and most marginalised neighbourhoods in Kampala. Most of the inhabitants of Nakulabye live in precarious conditions, and have limited access to essential services such as drinking water, electricity and sanitation. The streets are narrow and rutted, often littered with rubbish.

Sant'Egidio has recently opened a new School of Peace  in this neighbourhood. The first lesson on the environment was of great importance for the children who live in this highly degraded neighbourhood of Kampala. Numerous environmental problems affect this area

 
The children were made aware of the need to preserve and protect the nature around them. This can make these young people become active defenders of the environment, making a significant contribution to safeguarding the biodiversity of their neighbourhood. Furthermore, the lesson was a moment of great interest for the children, who participated enthusiastically and showed great interest in environmental issues.
 
However, the Community is also a friend of the elderly. The visit to the neighbourhood was also an opportunity for the Youth for Peace to meet some of them and to realise many of them live in precarious conditions, with limited livelihoods and limited access to health and social resources. Moreover, they lack family or community support further aggravating their situation. In fact, Nakulabye is characterised by a large and growing elderly population, often abandoned to themselves and neglected by society. Many of these elderly live lonely and isolated situations, with no assistance and with serious difficulties in obtaining resources for their survival. The friendship between Youth for Peace and the elderly can certainly give rise to a more inclusive and fairer neighbourhood for all its inhabitants.