Uganda has a storied history of oppression and turmoil dating back to the East African slave trade of the 18th and 19th century through the colonialism of the 19th and 20th century to the harsh regimes of ruthless rulers like the infamous Idi Amin in the second half of the 20th century. A history pockmarked by slavery, war, famine, AIDS, and child soldiers has left much of Uganda in a state of underdevelopment and poverty. The national GDP per person stands at less than $2,50 a day (2021) – sitting just over the extreme poverty line set by the World Bank.

The West Nile District, Arua’s regional context, is familiar with the difficulties of material progress and economic development. Although it now enjoys the blessings of peace and stability, it was an area only recently devoid of significant infrastructure and devastated by the Lord’s Resistance Army. It is still experiencing the effects of its past and the present corruption of the national government, with many water sanitation and power reliability issues.

However, with major improvements in social stability, education, infrastructure, and economic activity, many northern Ugandans are rising out of their past and making great strides toward improving their quality of life. Located in the northwest of Uganda, businesses are flocking to Arua as a strategic crossroads of commerce between the D.R.C., Uganda, and South Sudan, and the town is steadily growing and developing. Arua includes roughly 70,000 residents, many of which are Congolese and Sudanese immigrants. Arua contains a university campus, a collection of primary and secondary schools, several major banks, a host of small businesses and markets, and a handful of large churches that have made Arua the center of collaboration between clergy from neighboring regions. Christianity is the prevailing faith practiced in Arua, along with a growing Muslim presence and small number of Hindus.