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Uganda
Katie Muirhead on her expierences in Uganda In March 2006, after months of speculation, I flew to Uganda , East Africa , having never been to Africa at all before. I began a 7-week stint with a local volunteer group. However, after a couple of weeks, it became apparent that the group was both fraudulent and somehow dangerous, and I chose to embark more on my own adventure than to stick with this specific organization. I met many local people who I got a chance to know very well. I was staying in a village named Ndejje, about 10 kilometers south of the capital city of Kampala . Ndejje is a slum neighborhood; home to thousands of Ugandans who cannot afford the cost of the capital city. I couldn't have asked for a better place to be based as Ndejje served as an appropriate avenue for a first-time African traveler. With Kampala so close by, it was not difficult to have access to nearly any commodity that is found in the Western world. Transportation around Uganda is fairly reliable (as long as time is not a factor on your agenda), and I used this to my advantage to get to a tiny village named Kyababezi (Chee-aba-bez) in the Mubende (Moo-ben-day) district. While I was only able to spend one day in the village, I met with hundreds of people, living off the equivalent of less than $0.15 Canadian per day. I was amazed to discover that they were not complaining, or upset with their situation-they'd never known any different, and did not see their poverty as a disadvantage. I returned back to Canada with a whole new set of eyes in regards to how I viewed the world, and after one more year, I decided to return to Uganda , this time with my Mum, who is a doctor. She had an extensive history of travelling though had never been to Africa, and I was proud to be able to show her Uganda . We headed nearly directly for Kyababezi, and spent a week with the villagers. I was doing HIV testing while my mother saw to people with various medical conditions. Both experiences changed my life, though in different manners. It is important
to note that Uganda has more NGOs (Non-Government Organizations)
than any other country in the world (roughly 60 000), which means
there are many foreigners there. If you are interested in Uganda , or are planning to travel and have any questions, scroll down as I will do my best to answer those which often come up. What
is the best time of year to visit Uganda ? While the amount of rainfall differs each year, it is in my experience that is tends to only rain during the night, and as a result, serves to be quite refreshing rather than a hindrance. Going in the dry season can be difficult-especially if you are not used to a hot climate. Temperatures vary with lows averaging at 19C and highs at about 27C. How
safe is Uganda ? There are some exceptions however. I would strongly discourage anyone from travelling to the North of Uganda . Attributed to over 20 years of civil war, the North is a relative mess. Peace talks have been attempted in the past, and while many people feel a truce is on the way, it is still not safe to travel there. Don't be fooled-the Lord's Resistance Army, the rebel group fighting in the North, has no discrimination in who they will attack. Humanitarian groups, children, the elderly or tourists are no exception. At all costs, I would advise against travel into any area further North than Masindi/Soroti. Basic common sense is usually safety-enough for travel to Uganda . www.voyage.gc.ca is the Canadian government's website for travel issues, and should be visited prior to travelling anywhere. What
is the cost of living? What
language do Ugandans speak? The official language is English and 90% of the time you can get by with just speaking that. In the North, Swahili is the most widely-spoken language, and in the South is Lugandan. There are virtually no books on Lugandan and therefore it is difficult to learn any before leaving. However, the people are friendly in Uganda and are patient when it comes to teaching phrases to foreigners. What
are Ugandans like? Ugandans tend to be soft-spoken but certainly not shy. If you are of another race, they will be particularly interested. While Caucasians and Asians are common within Kampala , it is rare to see one in rural areas. Children are blunt and curious (as with most children anywhere), and adults are hospitable and very kind. Bargaining in the market is common practice, and is even encouraged as the Ugandans will enjoy very much arguing about the price of their product. Furthermore, if you pay the price that they always put forth, you will surely be out of money much sooner than expected. What
is there to do? For further questions, or to find out more about my time in Uganda , please visit www.kwagalafoundation.com
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