A Different World

A very interesting and different day today and not at all what I expected when I left home this morning! I was expecting a quiet day working on a report and spreadsheets in the office. However I was invited to go with the project officer to the Land Awareness Conference which is being held this week in Kampala and run by one of the partners I'll be working with.

The trip started with a boda ride across town. As we wove our way through the Kampala traffic in the warm sunshine I thought about how different life is here from life in the UK. For a start I can't get my head around it being less than a month to Christmas as it's still summer weather! Also in Uganda the Christmas decorations and presents are only just going up in shops and hotels unlike the UK where they will have been around for several weeks already.

And the modes of transport! I can't imagine riding across York on the back of a motorbike to a meeting! Perhaps that's something to think about Garry? When I arrived 2 months ago I didn't intend to use the bodas but it is just the easiest way to get around.

The conference was at the Sheraton Hotel in the centre of Kampala. Yes it is a member of the international chain and one of the big international hotels in Kampala. It was a different world from our usual places in Kampala. Looking around the lobby you could be anywhere in the world. And the lunch! As well as a good selection of Ugandan food there were lovely salads and steak pie, potatoes and vegetables. And puddings!! These are not often available in Kampala so to see a selection of Black Forest gateau, strawberry cream cake or Danish apple tart was a real treat!

The Sheraton had just put up their main Christmas display outside the front entrance. A soft top red VW beetle pulled by reindeer and full of flowers and Christmas presents. This must look spectacular at night when it's all lit up.

The conference sessions we sat in on were really interesting and gave me an insight into some of the issues the partner organisations are tackling. There isn't a national land registration system here yet. One of the outcomes of the project I'll be working on is around settling land disputes, particularly in the North which is just recovering from 20 years of conflict. Traditionally women don't have land ownership rights but with many households headed by a women this is one of the groups the partners are targeting for help in establishing land ownership rights. I've got so much to learn and understand about the issues here. I can help with finance capacity building but it's great to get a chance to start to learn about the work the partners are doing.