Teachers to be paid per day worked

A teacher helps James Kaahwa, 10, write on the blackboard during an English lesson at Kisojo Model Primary School in Kyenjojo District. James lives with his three older brothers, who dropped out of school to work after their parents died of AIDS-related causes. Their family has difficulty affording school fees, and James is now receiving assistance from a UNICEF-supported programme. He says, I enjoy going to school. I want to learn. Maybe I can become a driver. [#4 IN SEQUENCE OF FOUR] In June 2010 in Uganda, children and women continue to face persistent poverty and a low standard of living, conditions reflected in the countrys human development rank of 156 out of 179. Some progress has been made since the suspension of active conflict by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group known for abducting children and forcing them to serve as soldiers or sex slaves. Uganda has been free of LRA-related violence for the past year, encouraging over one million internally displaced people to return home. Still, children and women remain highly vulnerable. HIV/AIDS continues to take a toll: Over a million Ugandans currently live with HIV/AIDS and the number is growing, with paediatric infections accounting for 18 per cent of all new infections. Of the countrys 2.5 million orphans, 1.2 million lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. High fertility and adolescent birth rates contribute to the countrys high maternal and child mortality rates, and the percentage of women giving birth in health facilities is declining. In addition, drought, poor harvests, and severe food insecurity continue to affect nearly one million people in north-eastern Uganda. UNICEF programmes provide nutrition support and treatment to tens of thousands of children suffering severe acute malnutrition, and are increasing protections for unaccompanied and other vulnerable children. UNICEF also supports early childhood development programmes, integrated health management systems, improved latrine coverage, increased school attendance, and the social re-integration of children who escape the LRA.