East+Africa

[|Uganda Fertility Policy, New Vision]**
 * Uganda Needs Fertility Regulation Policy

In Uganda, an average of 3,000 babies are born daily. By the age of 19, 61% of female adolescents in Uganda are either mothers or pregnant for the first time. 97% of woman in child bearing years have knowledge of at least one family planning method. However, for one reason or another, females are not using them. Because so many babies being born and a fertility rate of 6.77 children born per woman, it has become difficult for the government to meet basic needs for over 3 million Ugandans. Some are now saying Uganda needs a Fertility Regulation Policy.

Uganda's current Fertility Rate is 6.77 children born per woman. This is the 3rd highest in the world, behind Niger and Mali.

[|CIA Factbook, Total Fertility Rate]
 * Country || Fertility Rate ||
 * Niger || 7.75 ||
 * Mali || 7.29 ||
 * Uganda || 6.77 ||
 * Afghanistan || 6.53 ||
 * Somalia || 6.52 ||
 * Burundi || 6.33 ||
 * Yemen || 6.32 ||
 * Burkina Faso || 6.28 ||
 * Democratic Republic of the Congo || 6.20 ||
 * Angola || 6.12 ||


 * How Do They Count Rhythms in East Africa?**

[|Middle East] [|Rhythm] [|Kenya] [|Nyahbingi Drumming & Rhythms]

Music is one of the most amazing, important, and influential forces on this planet. Anywhere you go, you will find music. Music has impacted and is a part of every culture. Every person that has, or is currently living on this globe is familiar with music, in one form or another. Music seems to be a part of human nature. If you know anything about music, you probably know how to count rhythm one way or another. It could be using ‘1 e and a’ ‘trip o let’ ‘I ti te ta’ or maybe even ‘wat-er-mel-on’. These are only a couple examples of the numerous ways we count just here in the United States. One day, I got thinking “how do other countries count, especially in East Africa?” The first thing we must realize is that each culture uses different rhythm patterns. These patterns are unique to the region. For example, you might have heard of the “clave.” This pattern is used in Afro Cuban music. These rhythms are going to be important to the way the other rhythms are counted and organized. Just like each language and culture is going to count “1, 2, 3, 4, 5….” differently, they are going to count rhythms differently. Rhythms are counted the way the sound. We use similar consonants, syllables, words and sounds to count rhythms. Otherwise, the counting is confusing and counterintuitive. For example, a rhythm (and rudiment) I use almost daily is a paradiddle. It sounds just like it is played. Another rudiment that is fun to play, say, and count, is a Pataflafla. If you wanted to, you could even come up with your own counting system. In the Middle East and some Arabic speaking regions, some rhythms are counted using “baladii” “sayyidii” “dum” “shiftaatellii”. In India, which has one the most complex verbal counting systems, people count rhythms by saying “ Tal Tintal” “tol teen-tol.” As we go around the globe, different regions are very unique in their counting systems.

In East Africa, a lot of music is based on the African 12 beat pattern. This is believed to be thousands of years old. Ethiopia uses the "chic chic ka." This rhythmic pattern is very unique to East Africa. In Kenya, the "clave" and other Afro-Cuban patterns are used, especially in their genre of Benga. The   Niyabinghi (Uganda and Rwanda area) rhythms influenced ska and reggae music. These rhythms are played on three drums. Each symbolizes and is counted differently. In Djbouti, rhythms ( iqa'at) can be really complex. They base their counting system by using silences (rests) the downbeat (dumm), and upbeat (takk). The counting system(s) in East Africa is unique. Even the different regions and tribes within East Africa have different ways of counting! It is so interesting to see how different cultures and regions use music and count rhythms!


 * Population Information for East Africa**

[|CIA World Factbook]

The countries of East Africa include Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea.  **Tanzania: **Total Population- 49,048,532 Population Growth- 2.04% Fertility Rate- 4.46 children born/woman 1.4 million (6.2%) live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Dar es Salaam
 * Burundi:** ** Total Population- 8,988,091 Population Growth- 3.279% Fertility Rate- 6.33 children born/woman 110,000 (2%) live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Bujumbura **
 * Rwanda:** Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa. Total Population- 10,473,282 Population Growth- 2.782% Fertility Rate- 5.25 children born/woman 150,000 (2.8%) live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Kigali
 * Uganda:** Total Population- 32,369,558 Population Growth- 2.692% Fertility Rate- 6.77 children born/woman 940,000 (5.4%) live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Kampala
 * Kenya:** Total Population- 39,002,772 Population Growth- 2.691% Fertility Rate- 4.56 children born/woman 1.2 million (6.7%) live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Nairobi
 * Ethiopia:** Ethiopia is currently the 15th largest country in the world. Total Population- 85,237,338 Population Growth- 3.208% Fertility Rate- 6.12 children born/woman 980,000 (2.1%) live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Addis Ababa
 * Somalia:** Total Population- 9,832,017 Population Growth- 2.815% Fertility Rate- 6.53 children born/ woman 24,000 (.5%) live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Mogadishu
 * Djibouti:** Total Population- 516,055 Population Growth- 1.903% Fertility Rate- 5.06 children born/woman 16,000 (3.1%) people live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- City of Djibouti
 * Eritrea:** Total Population- **5,647,168 ** Population Growth- 2.577% Fertility Rate- 4.72 children born/woman 38,000 people live with HIV/AIDS Largest City- Asmara


 * East Africa**: Total Population- 241,114,813 //Ave.// Population of countries- 26,790,534.78 Population Growth- 2.665% Fertility Rate- 5.53 children born/woman 4,858,000 people live with HIV AIDS (3.34%)

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By: Kennedy Noel [|An East African Federation, The Economist] In 1967, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda founded the East Africa Community (EAC), with the idea of federation. Although the EAC collapsed in 1977, the project was revived in 1999, and added Burundi and Rwanda in 2007. The EAC has many plans for its future, including a single currency by 2015, and a common trading system. But, will this European Union style federation be successful?
 * ​Could a United States of East Africa really work? **