Pro-Contraception groups must re-evaluate Uganda

In a recent talk show on a popular Kampala radio station, the topic of the advantages and disadvantages of the spacing of births quickly turned into a heated discussion on population control, a sensitive topic in the African context. One caller asked: “How can a Ugandan man “stop at two”? Have we become like the Mzungus (White people)?” Another was proud to say that his grandfather had had 65 children, and 35 had died. If he’d had only 30 none would be alive now. A third caller said that Western countries are now paying people to have children, while trying hard to see that African populations remain low so they can take our land. There are arguments to shoot down each of these points, but they accurately express how most Ugandans feel.

An international three-day conference is now running in Kampala on scientific research into family planning, with participants from 30 countries. It is sponsored by German and US population organizations, with the collaboration of the relevant departments of the local Ministry of Health. The conference is receiving big media coverage, but is passing unnoticed by the average Ugandan.

The day before the conference opened President Museveni, at an awards ceremony for outstanding youth of the past year, spoke out against homosexuality, saying that, although it’s not part of African culture, in the past homosexually-inclined people were neither persecuted nor encouraged, and were left to be, but that God had arranged things so that a man should marry a woman.

A private member’s bill was presented to the Ugandan parliament last month, condemning same-sex unions and declaring homosexual acts a capital offence. This is a reaction to recent attempts by radio stations to stir up the homosexual rights debate, and the strongly-voiced opposition of clergy and the general public.

Museveni is undoubtedly losing points with some of the international donors, but he’s a soldier and no respecter of persons, and is quick to come to the defense of what he considers traditional African values. His wife, Janet, has also been carrying on a pro-Abstinence campaign for the past few years. The big drop in HIV/AIDS infected people from epidemic proportions to below 10 per cent of the population has been partly attributed to this.

Uganda, it seems, is becoming a battleground for different family and life ideologies, but the war is being waged from outside. The country has one of the highest birth-rates in the world, and there are reasons for this. The whole country was the scene of bitter conflict between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s. A rebellion in the north started after this and continued for a further twenty years. Ugandans have seen too much death; they now want to see life. The land is very fertile, yet largely under-populated. Extra helping hands could develop the country and raise living standards. Besides, fertility is seen as a divine gift, something sacred, as well as a point of pride, and not only masculine pride.

The contrary is thought to be a curse; and anything that stunts fertility, whether homosexual unions or contraceptive devices, is thought to abuse this sacred gift. In the same way as drought, floods or a locust attack are thought to be a punishment. This belief is deeply rooted in all Africans, not only Ugandans, whether animist, Christian or Moslem.
The family-planning organizations say they want to bring down the rate of deaths in delivery and infancy. The rest of the population says the same, except that they differ on methods.

The country is divided into two camps: the smaller one, the international community, the media and some of the young generation who have traveled outside or been influenced by modern ideas; and the larger, the rest of the population. It is unlikely either of these attitudes will change, at least in the foreseeable future. Children mean security in old age; they bring with them the brains and hands needed to raise living standards; they provide laughter and enjoyment as well as headaches; they bring each other up and learn to socialize easily and naturally, and pass on the family name and family values. This is the way it is, and few will be convinced otherwise, at least while the continent remains so undeveloped.

Africa has been spared violent social, as opposed to political, revolutions. This is said to be largely due to the extended family and explains why, despite the poverty and social upheaval, everyone somehow has somewhere to go at night to eat and sleep. Africans fear that if they have fewer children they will fall into worse poverty, and die unattended and unmourned, a terrible fate. Besides, they have no guarantee their children will live longer if they have fewer of them, nor that their living standards will automatically improve, because of the precariousness of life here. Perhaps the family-planning organizations have to do some more homework.

Martyn Drakard is a freelance writer based in Uganda and Kenya.