Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome
After meeting the UK team of volunteers at the airport and taking two long flights (first to Doha, Qatar and then Entebbe, Uganda) we stepped out of the airport into the stifling heat of Uganda.
Getting to know you
That evening the national volunteers treated us to a Ugandan welcome (arguably the most hospitable nation in Africa), with singing, dancing, comedy and a fun little game that forced us into dance battles and sing-offs that were not totally compatible with the typical British stiff upper lip. But by the end of the night everyone was up and dancing and I think we all felt more comfortable and we’ve had lots of opportunity to chat and get to know each other.
Let’s get down to business
The next morning our training started and throughout the week we’ve had various sessions on health, security, the VSO principles, how to be a good facilitator, and more. Everyone struggled a bit to stay awake in the heat of the conference room after a few late nights, but the tea breaks definitely helped and the skills we’ve worked on should be helpful out in the field.
Food glorious food!
The food here is amazing, the hotel provides a buffet of goodies at every meal with plates piled high (although they have reduced the portions for the UK volunteers after we proved unable to finish them!).
A staple in the central region (where Kampala is situated) is matoke – mashed green banana – which serves as a base alongside rice and spaghetti for meat, sauces and vegetables with fruit for dessert and sweet treats served at tea. Last night they even made fish and chips for us, but with meaty grilled fish on the bone.
Big fun
On Wednesday it was the birthday of one of the UK volunteers and in the evening we had a party kindly organised by the Ugandan volunteers. Again there was lots of dancing and many people were called upon to say what they like about the birthday boy. We had also pooled money together to buy a huge birthday cake which was slapped onto everyone’s face and a dance party ensued, continuing long into the night.
On Thursday I took part in an aerobics class in the hotel gym, which was a whole new kind of insane fun. After 15 minutes stretching the instructor (who I don’t believe is quite human) led aerobics for 1 hour and 20 minutes with no breaks! I thought I might die, but his energy was so great that I wanted to keep going and just about managed to stick it out till the end.
Ease on down the road
On top of all the excitement at the hotel we’ve managed to take a few trips to see Kampala:
We’ve visited the nearby shops and seen the market at the side of the road whilst dodging cars and boda bodas (motorcycles which love to weave between the traffic). We also went on a boat cruise on Lake Victoria, which was really beautiful. I was slightly worried when our boat got stuck on a fishing net, but it was worth it for the view of the islands and the stunning sunset.
Then today we had a free day to pack and see the city. This morning I went to Matoto church at one of the universities nearby. It was quite an emotional experience with everyone singing together and felt almost like a concert. The preacher was very passionate and I loved seeing everyone arrayed in their colourful finery.
And this afternoon we went to the bustling city centre, which we were told is relatively quiet because it’s a Sunday, although it seemed like rush-hour to us. We wandered round the craft fair where women tried to bring us into their shops to buy clothes and statues with calls of “welcome, sister”. Then wondering through the busy streets we were frequently called mzungu (the word for a white person), which is apparently meant in a positive way but can still feel quite intimidating. We also popped into a huge supermarket to buy detergent and soap (the Ugandans are appalled by our inability to wash clothes by hand).’
Just around the riverbend
Tonight we’re having a culture evening where we’re meant to share performances and aspects of our home country and tomorrow morning we’ll be heading to our separate communities.
We have three groups going to Hoima, Kitgum or Lira and within those we will be split into smaller groups to work on different projects.
I’m going to Hoima, where VSO have partnerships with vocational training institutes, a disabled group and a women’s rights group. We don’t know which project we’ll be working on yet, but yesterday we found out the pairs we will be in for the host home we’re staying in and our counterpart pairs, who form part of a buddy system and will be our partners for the Active Citizenship Days (when we present to the other volunteers on various topics).
I’m excited, but also nervous, for the next step on this journey. I’ve made lots of good friends already and I know we will all support each other to adjust to the new communities where we’ll be working and hopefully we can make a lasting impact as well as learning new skills and experiencing the wonderful culture of Uganda.
Sunday, 30th September
Ella's blog 