Looking Back on 2 Years in Uganda

2 months after our return home and the 100th and final blog post is a good time to reflect on the whole experience of volunteering in Uganda.

Overall I would say it has been a positive experience. I had always wanted to have a period living and work abroad and have been thinking of volunteering with VSO since the boys were small. This was the culmination of a long held ambition and mostly lived up to expectations.

In a lot of ways I was very lucky. I had the support of my husband, who also gave 2 years of his life to live in Uganda, and the rest of the family. The placement was well thought through by my placement organisation and I had a clear job plan and a lot of induction support. Many of my VSO volunteer colleagues were not so lucky and had to work hard in the early months to gain acceptance from their placement organisations and to design and then negotiate for their workplans.

We also had a UK income from letting the house so could afford to buy and run a car and pay for holidays in Uganda. This also covered 2 trips back home over the 2 years and has allowed for an easier transition back to life in the UK without the need to start work immediately. The VSO volunteering allowance is very generous by volunteer standards but it would have been very hard if we had both had to survive on it alone. I think it would be helpful to future volunteers if VSO were clearer about the realities of the in country allowance and the cost of living.

We were based in Kampala, which really helped with the adaptation. There were restaurants, coffee shops and supermarkets enabling us to have a lifestyle that was familiar and comfortable. We also had less health problems than some of the volunteers placed in rural areas.

The other VSO volunteers are amazing people. They welcomed us with open arms and quickly became like our extended family. We had wonderful evenings and days out with them and there was always a shoulder to cry on when it all became too much. We have made friends all over the world that I'm sure we will keep in touch with for a long time. We just need to find the time and resources to take up all the invitations we have to visit different places.

There were times when we had had enough and would happily have climbed on a plane home. Ugandan bureaucracy was a challenge and usually involved shifting lots of pieces of paper around. Buying and then selling the car was the most difficult and presented many bureaucratic challenges.

We missed our family and friends lots and also all sorts of things you just take for granted in the UK. Live theatre, train travel, Sunday lunches, the sea, drinking water straight from the tap and cheese! Living abroad for a few years makes you really appreciate the much maligned British institutions, the BBC and the NHS!

Did I make a difference? I think I did for the people I worked with directly, certainly they have said so. I brought new ideas and different ways of doing things. I focussed on encouraging the programme and finance people to work together and to appreciate the skills and experience each brought to the outcomes the organisation was working towards. I introduced grant reconciliations into the reporting template and taught both the finance and programme people how to prepare these and find any differences. But it is hard to say whether what I did made any direct difference to the ultimate beneficiaries, the people returning to their land, working to establish their rights and learning how to farm again after a generation living in IDP camps (internally displaced persons).

I gained a great deal of knowledge about development work in general and sustainable agriculture programmes in particular. I learnt how to adapt to live and work in a very different environment. I enjoyed running training courses for large and small groups and ran residential courses for the first time.

Yes I am glad I did it but I'm also pleased to be back home. We've slotted back into village life again as if we've never been away and have been busier over the past 2 months than we were in Uganda. I miss my colleagues and the other volunteers and I miss the warm evenings sat outside enjoying a meal together.

I've been trying to think which of the many many photos I have most sums up the Ugandan experience. I think it has to be the Nile ferry in the middle of the Murchison Falls National Park. Not always reliable but definitely an experience in the midst of beautiful countryside and surrounded by the birds and animals East Africa is best known for.

An A-Z of Uganda Part 5

I wanted to finish the five parts of the A-Z so here is the final part - V to Z

V

Victoria

Lake Victoria, the Victoria Nile and so many lakes named after Queen Victoria's family (Albert, George, Edward etc.) mean that you can't really escape from the Victorian explorers who 'discovered' Uganda. Lake Victoria is huge and is a key feature in the south east with towns such as Kampala, Entebbe and Jinja on the shoreline. The lake helps to regulate the climate in the Kampala area and the south east, providing more regular rainfall throughout the year and keeping the temperature more moderate than further north. 

Many people make a living from fishing on the lake. 

It is also a great place for bird watching

We saw this family of Grey Crested Crane on the shores of the lake on our final day in Uganda

There is an ongoing battle to stop the lake silting up and being turned into marshland by plants such as papyrus. This is great for the shoebill, which lives in these swampy areas, but not so good for the local population and especially people making a living from fishing. The lake is also notorious for bilharzia. 

W

War

The north of Uganda is still recovering from 20 years of war, which only finished in 2006. Many people have returned to their homes from IDP camps (Internally Displaced Persons) after many years away. Working out what land belongs to who and also training people in agricultural skills are key parts of the sustainable livelihoods programme I have been working with. 

Welcome

Ugandan people must be some of the most welcoming in the world. Everywhere we went we were made to feel genuinely welcome. Even returning to the flat after working away for a week our neighbours would all say 'Welcome back'. 

Wildlife

Uganda is a great place to visit to see wildlife. It is one of the best places in the world for bird watching and along with Rwanda and DRC home to the last remaining Mountain Gorillas. The parks are smaller than their better known neighbours in Kenya and Tanzania, but much less touristy making a safari drive a really special experience. 

X

eXtra

The extra special memory of Uganda is of the many friends we made and the people we met there.

Y 

Youth

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world. The average age is around 15 with well over 80% of the populations officially defined as 'youth' (i.e. under 35). The number of young people gives the country a vibrancy not found in countries with an older population. Around 400,000 young people join the job market every year but there are very few jobs for them. Most join the informal economy driving bodas or selling from wheelbarrows or just what they can carry. There are tremendous opportunities for Uganda from their young population but also risks if there is not enough work and the young people become disengaged with society. 

Z

Zebra

There are wild zebra in Lake Mburo and Kidepo national parks. We saw lots of zebra in Lake Mburo on our two visits. Interestingly we saw many more zebra in Uganda than horses, which are very rare. 

Back Home

It's been a whirlwind 6 weeks since I last wrote a blog post!

First was the final packing and saying our goodbyes to our friends and colleagues in Uganda. We had a lovely final afternoon with a meal and cake beside Lake Victoria and some lovely presents and photos to remember our time in Uganda. Then it was time to hand over the keys to the flat and head to Entebbe airport for our flight home. It all felt very unreal as we sat over lunch in Cafe Kawa on our last day and we really couldn't believe we would be home within 24 hours.

But we were! After a comfortable flight on the last British Airways plane from Entebbe to Heathrow we landed on an autumnal Saturday morning. We cleared immigration and found our cases in record time and headed out to find a coffee before travelling to Oxford. What a lovely surprise to find Ali, Rhian and Kieran all in the arrivals hall with a large 'Welcome Home' sign!

Our weekend in Oxford included a review of their wedding photos, the first time we had seen them, a harvest service and a Sunday lunch. It was a great welcome home.

Since then we've been catching up with friends and family around York, endless unpacking, finding things and sorting out the house and some trips out to enjoy the autumn colours.We have really appreciated the beauty of the season after 2+ years of summer weather. The colours have been beautiful and the weather unseasonably mild.

An A-Z of Uganda Part 4

So to carry on from where I finished on Saturday

Q
Queen Elizabeth 
As a former British colony Uganda still has Queen Elizabeth as a figurehead and is proud of her various visits to the country. The most recent was to the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference when the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort Hotel was built.

One of the best known and most visited parks in Uganda is the Queen Elizabeth National Park in the South West. The park is fairly easy to get to from Kampala in a day and is in the right place to combine with a trip to see the gorillas in the far south west. We trekked chimpanzees in QENP in the beautiful Kyambura gorge. This is real rain forest and made a very interesting trip.

R
Religion
Religion is very important in Uganda. Over 80% of the population is Christian with roughly half of those Catholic. There is an Anglican church in the Church of Uganda but many people attend the various pentecostal or miracle churches. Church buildings are huge and are beautiful inside with excellent sound systems and packed congregations. We went to the baptism of a friend's baby at a Catholic Church. The service started at 11.30 and was the 4th service that morning. 10 babies were christened combined with a large number of children taking their first communion. Overall the service lasted for 3 hours.

Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala (Anglican)

S

Sustainable Livelihoods

The partner organisations I've been working with are part of the Sustainable Livelihoods programme. This divides roughly equally between those working on land rights and those working with farmers groups on sustainable agriculture. A real bonus of my time here has been the opportunity to learn more about the sustainable livelihoods programme work. Even seeing so many of the things we are used using processed as the original unprocessed crops has been really interesting. 

 Cotton

 Pineapple

Teak trees

Swahili

Swahili is not a common language in Uganda unlike other countries in East Africa such as Kenya or Tanzania where it is one of the main languages uniting different regional groups. However, as Uganda becomes more integrated in the East African Union, Swahili is now an official language and is being taught in schools. 

T

Tribes

In Uganda the tribe you belong to is an important part of your identity. While I have been living here the government has been rolling out a national identity card programme and a key question is which tribe you belong to. Tribes have their own cultural identity and customs. 

U

Uganda 

Uganda is a fascinating, beautiful country with an interesting history. The name 'Uganda' comes from a mispronunciation of name of the tribe living in the central area by the British. The tribe is the Buganda but when the country was named the 'B' was lost. 

Uganda is a landlocked country bordered by South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is a natural border formed by the Nile through the middle of Uganda. The official borders were drawn up when Africa was split by the colonial powers and don't fit with natural borders. Hence the borders in many areas are porous as people move between their different family members in different countries. Even the local languages are the same across many border areas. 

An A-Z of Uganda Part 3

I haven't posted any more on the A-Z since May as there have been so many other things to write about. I do want to finish the series so here is the next instalment.

L
Lakes
Uganda has them in abundance and so many are beautiful, Lakes Victoria, Albert, Edward, George and Kyoga are the large lakes. We have also visited Lake Bunyoni, Lake Mutanda and Lake Mburo among other smaller ones.

 Lake Bunyoni

 Lake Mutanda

Lake Victoria at Entebbe

Lugandan

The language spoken by the Baganda people of the central area, which includes Kampala. Many of the volunteers based in Kampala have learnt the basics but with 9 different languages spoken in the areas I've worked I've not learnt much. The most useful words are:

Ssebo - Man or sir, used to address everyone

Nyabo - Women

Weebale - Thank you

Kali - OK

Land Rights

A key area of work within the Sustainable Livelihoods programme I've been working with. As pressure on land increases with the growing population then more land conflicts are breaking out. Much of the land is unregistered so establishing ownership involves working back through the family tree to see who gave which bits to who, when and why. 

M

Matatu

A main form of transport around Kampala and other towns and also between the towns. Generally referred to as Taxis these 14 seat minibuses travel when they are full on unwritten routes so you need some local knowledge to use them. The fares are cheap, 1,200 UGX to get from where we live into the city centre or just over 20p. 

Mango

Mangos are one of my favourite fruits in the UK so living in a country where they literally grow on trees is a real bonus. Every village has a mango tree, it's wide shade makes it ideal as a meeting tree where the whole village can meet to discuss issues in the shade. In May and June mangos are everywhere, with a second season in December and January. 

Mountains

Uganda is home to the Rwenzori mountains, the highest mountain range in Africa. The highest peak, Mount Stanley, at 5,110 metres is the 3rd highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. Rwenzori means 'Rain Maker' and it is not easy to get a good view of the mountains as they are usually covered in clouds and mist. Several companies offer treks in the area of the mountains, which sound lovely but very hard work. 

N

Nile

The Nile comes out from Lake Victoria at Jinja and crosses through the centre of Uganda creating a giant swampy lake area which is virtually impassible. The road north crosses the Nile at Karuma falls then the river goes over the Murchison Falls, giving the park it's name, into Lake Albert and out heading north again. The Nile cuts the West Nile region off from the rest of Uganda with only one bridge at Pacwach and some ferries further north. From Uganda the Nile goes on into South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. 

Crossing the Nile over the Owen Falls Dam in Jinja

Nilotic Languages

The natural barrier of the Nile is also a cultural divide between the Bantu people in the south of Uganda and the Nilotic people in the north. The different groups have very different languages so a Lugandan speaker from Kampala wouldn't be able to understand a Luo speaker from Gulu. Traditional dances, songs and costume from the different areas are also very different. 

O

Opportunities

The southern area of Uganda is beginning to prosper, although the development is not spread evenly. There is a growing middle class in Kampala and poverty levels are reducing. However, the same is not true in the north of the country where life is still a struggle. 

P

Pearl of Africa

Winston Churchill called Uganda the Pearl of Africa after a visit here. Uganda is very proud of the title and you see it everywhere in hotel and restaurant names, book titles and public buildings. As well as the beautiful scenery Uganda has very welcoming, friendly people. 

Population Growth

The average age in Uganda is around 15 and the population growth is around 4% per annum with families generally having 5 or 6 children. A young population gives great opportunities but only if the youth are engaged and employable. The focus of several VSO projects in the north of the country has been on training young people in vocational skills. 

The 7 Hills Revolving Restaurant

Yesterday was a public holiday in Uganda so we decided to have one final trip into Kampala city centre in search of souvenirs and a nice lunch. The car has been sold so we are back to travelling on a matatu. We walked around the hill into Bukesa so that we could get a ride to the Jinja Road and save the long walk across the city. It was probably just as well as with the holiday we didn't see many and it was good to board at the starting point for the journey.

Riding on a matatu is always interesting. There are 14 official seats, including 3 that fold down into the corridor. However, children, goats, chickens and the conductor don't count. On top of that the conductor will often try to squeeze an extra person in so you usually travel with 4 people squeezed into each 3 seat row. Not so great for Glen who finds a matatu pretty small anyway!

Once we were in the city we headed to Banana Boat in the Garden City Mall to buy our souvenirs. Next door is the Golf Course Hotel which has a revolving restaurant on the 12th floor. Bizarrely it is closed on Sunday but it was open yesterday despite the public holiday and we settled ourselves in to enjoy our lunch and the 360 degree view of the city.

The section of the floor with the dining tables on revolves slowly, completing a full revolution in around an hour and 15 minutes. The bar and serving areas doesn't move so it must be odd for the waitress when the food appears to have to go and find her customers who have moved since she took their orders!

A bonus was the best steak we've had in Uganda! I wasn't allowed to eat it until Glen had taken the picture!

Packing Up

With just 10 days before our flight home we're starting the process of packing our bags, clearing the flat and saying our goodbyes. We took 2 very full cases back in June but there still seems to be plenty to fit in now. Between us we have 3 cases of 23kg each plus a generous hand luggage allowance so Saturday was spent packing and repacking to get everything into the bags.

The packing process left us with a large pile of things to give away in the middle of the living room. Luckily we met up with most of the Kampala based volunteers for lunch on Sunday at Caffe Roma and they helped us out by giving most things a good home. The flat is now starting to look quite empty, especially as we've managed to sell most of the things we had for sale.

Sitting on the shady patio at Caffe Roma over a leisurely Sunday lunch is one of our favourite pastimes here so quite appropriate to spend our penultimate Sunday there with lots of friends.