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.
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Monday, 25 November 2013
Life with an African Beat!
Life here definitely has an African drum beat! From the dancing, singing and music at the Ndere Cultural centre last Sunday to the band and singer at Jazzville on Wednesday evening to the drums and music we can often hear in the evenings from the flat and the singing at a BBQ we went to yesterday evening. Ugandans have a wonderful natural sense of rhythm we don't get close to in the UK. A colleague at work is trying to find a proper Ugandan drum, one made for musicians to use not just for the tourist market, to take back to Ireland with her. Hearing the sounds and wonderful rhythms will transport her straight back to East Africa. Although carrying it on your head is optional!
Life is starting to settle into a routine here in Kampala. The day starts with a climb up the track to find a boda boda to take me into work. Although it should be possible to arrange a regular driver to pick me up from the gates and save the walk up the hill! Then the arrival at work and the routine of greeting everyone and asking how they are, did they have a good weekend / evening etc. A proper hour lunch break either going to a local restaurant for rice and beans with colleagues or having a sandwich and reading the papers in the office. Then home via the fruit and vegetable market stalls to collect the lovely fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables for dinner. I don't have to walk very far carrying a motorcycle helmet before a boda boda stops to offer me a ride.
There is a lovely group of VSO volunteers and honorary volunteers here in Kampala and we usually meet up for dinner on Wednesday and Friday evenings at one of the local restaurants. One of the joys of living here is the range of restaurants available with meals for a very reasonable price. In fact eating out is nearly the same price as eating in. The weather is always warm so we can sit outside to eat all year around, although you need the insect repellent to keep the mosquitos at bay.
Life is starting to settle into a routine here in Kampala. The day starts with a climb up the track to find a boda boda to take me into work. Although it should be possible to arrange a regular driver to pick me up from the gates and save the walk up the hill! Then the arrival at work and the routine of greeting everyone and asking how they are, did they have a good weekend / evening etc. A proper hour lunch break either going to a local restaurant for rice and beans with colleagues or having a sandwich and reading the papers in the office. Then home via the fruit and vegetable market stalls to collect the lovely fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables for dinner. I don't have to walk very far carrying a motorcycle helmet before a boda boda stops to offer me a ride.
There is a lovely group of VSO volunteers and honorary volunteers here in Kampala and we usually meet up for dinner on Wednesday and Friday evenings at one of the local restaurants. One of the joys of living here is the range of restaurants available with meals for a very reasonable price. In fact eating out is nearly the same price as eating in. The weather is always warm so we can sit outside to eat all year around, although you need the insect repellent to keep the mosquitos at bay.
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Welcome Home Glen!
Glen arrived into Entebbe airport at 22.40 Uganda time yesterday. He arrived on the same flight as the next group of VSO volunteers so we were both able to travel back into Kampala with them.
It's great being back together again and I'm looking forward to introducing him to Kampala and the other VSO volunteers. However, he's brought out 3 more suitcases of useful and not so useful stuff, so more things to find homes for!
I've taken 2 days holiday from work to show him around. We're going to the Ndere Cultural Centre with the new volunteers tonight. I really enjoyed the evening when I went in my first week so I hope Glen likes it.
It's a warm humid afternoon in Kampala. This is the view from the balcony, now that Glen has finally managed to get the door to open! There are so many odd jobs I need doing around the flat, it's a good job he's brought a mini tool kit.
It's great being back together again and I'm looking forward to introducing him to Kampala and the other VSO volunteers. However, he's brought out 3 more suitcases of useful and not so useful stuff, so more things to find homes for!
I've taken 2 days holiday from work to show him around. We're going to the Ndere Cultural Centre with the new volunteers tonight. I really enjoyed the evening when I went in my first week so I hope Glen likes it.
It's a warm humid afternoon in Kampala. This is the view from the balcony, now that Glen has finally managed to get the door to open! There are so many odd jobs I need doing around the flat, it's a good job he's brought a mini tool kit.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
A week in Lira
This week I travelled to Lira in the north of Uganda to meet one of the partners I will be working with. I travelled with two colleagues and we had some useful and interesting meetings with the partner organisation. I'm sure there is a lot I can do to help build their financial management systems and knowledge. I'm hoping to travel back before Christmas to start to look at setting up a cost centre for their central costs and then allocate these across the various grants that they have.
We left at 6am on Monday morning to try and avoid the worst of the Kampala traffic. There are some major roadworks on the main road to the north on the outskirts of Kampala with a long stretch where there is only a hardcore layer and no tarmac. Uganda also has a lot of speed bumps, particularly where any work is being done on the road. Overall it took us 5 hours to get to Lira with a short breakfast stop on the way. We then had Monday afternoon and all of Tuesday and Wednesday with the partner and then travelled back on Thursday. We weren't able to avoid the Kampala traffic on Thursday so it took 7 hours to get back. But we did stop at a market on the way back and got some excellent fresh fruit and vegetables. I got a large bag of tomatoes for 2000 UGX, which is around 50p.
In Kampala I'm gradually getting settled into the apartment and getting things put away. I need to go back to the furniture market to get some more storage, especially when Glen arrives next week as I've filled up all the spaces already! I've started to use the Boda motorbike taxis as they are the quickest and easiest way to get around. It's definitely the best way to get to work. A 40 minute walk with 2 uphill climbs or a 7 minute motorbike ride? Which would you choose?
We left at 6am on Monday morning to try and avoid the worst of the Kampala traffic. There are some major roadworks on the main road to the north on the outskirts of Kampala with a long stretch where there is only a hardcore layer and no tarmac. Uganda also has a lot of speed bumps, particularly where any work is being done on the road. Overall it took us 5 hours to get to Lira with a short breakfast stop on the way. We then had Monday afternoon and all of Tuesday and Wednesday with the partner and then travelled back on Thursday. We weren't able to avoid the Kampala traffic on Thursday so it took 7 hours to get back. But we did stop at a market on the way back and got some excellent fresh fruit and vegetables. I got a large bag of tomatoes for 2000 UGX, which is around 50p.
In Kampala I'm gradually getting settled into the apartment and getting things put away. I need to go back to the furniture market to get some more storage, especially when Glen arrives next week as I've filled up all the spaces already! I've started to use the Boda motorbike taxis as they are the quickest and easiest way to get around. It's definitely the best way to get to work. A 40 minute walk with 2 uphill climbs or a 7 minute motorbike ride? Which would you choose?
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