02/02/14

So I’ve been here almost a month and am finally getting around to doing my blog.  Problems with internet access and a general enjoyment of being away from a computer screen is to blame for the delay.

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Welcome to the streets of Namuwongo

 

I’ve no clue where to start to in British tradition, I’ll begin with a weather update! To be succinct: it’s really hot! I’ve experienced a couple of heavy downpours but they didn’t last long so my sunscreen is never far away (surprise surprise!). There is often a nice breeze though, which really helps prevent me melting!

The guest house I’m staying in is nice and comfortable and during the day it’s a bit a haven from the hustle and bustle of city life (slightly different at night when the bars get going!).  I’m looked after by Jonah (resident security guard), Ferista (cook) and her 3yr old daughter, Joseline (very cute) and Brian the dog.  Initially two other volunteers, Dana & Einav from Israel, were staying here with me. It was great to have some company at the house during the first few weeks. They’ve now gone on to travel around Uganda but Jenny, Hands for Hope’s new manager is staying here for a few weeks with me.  

The Guest House

I started my volunteering the day after arriving in Uganda (1am that very morning actually!) and after a tour of the slum I was introduced to the Holiday Programme that was taking place at the local primary school.  The Holiday Programme (HP) runs whilst school term is out so that the kids have a safe place away from the slums to spend their days and continue to receive 2 meals a day.  The staff organise various games and activities for the kids to participate in over the course of a few weeks. Approximately 140 children attend the HP so it was pretty crazy sometimes!  However, on the whole it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.  Einav, Dana & I worked together to come up with new activities for the kids. We planned a ‘Countries Day’ so as to have fun learning about a few countries outside of Africa. We also held a competition involving bowling (using plastic bottles), Pin the Tail on the Ankole Bull, basketball & boules.

Kids having fun during the Holiday Programme

It really was a joy to see the kids having fun, showing eagerness to participate in educational activities as well as playground games, even seeing them bicker and argue with one another was kind of nice to see as it brings home that they are children just like any others in the world.

Just before the end of the holiday programme the children were treated to a trip to Wonderworld, Uganda’s only theme-park. The kids were really excited about going, especially at the prospect of swimming. Despite many of them feeling a bit sick or scared after going on the rides all the kids seemed to have a fantastic time.  My experience was similar – I stupidly went on an Octopus ride, which spun me round & round & round again, making me feeling really sick! It was a great day though seeing the kids enjoy themselves so much.

The dreaded octopus ride!

The HP ended with a talent competition: Namuwongo’s Got Talent! The kids all participated in singing, dancing and drama shows and showed real resourcefulness and creativity, e.g. using a sack to make a scarecrow outfit. They had great fun and I really enjoyed watching and sitting on the judge’s panel!

Kids dressed as scarecrows

 



The HP finished a week ago so this past week I’ve been going into the slum with the social workers, observing the work they do there. It’s also given me an opportunity to see how the children live and the real difficulties they face, e.g. overcrowded living quarters, housing that looks like it’ll fall down as soon as strong winds/heavy rains come, housing situated next to or on top of waterways that will be sure to flood during rainy season, mothers trying to care for their children with little or no income, tiny children walking around with dirty, torn clothing, unfortunately the list goes on…

On the other hand, I’ve also been able to see and hear more about the great work that Hands for Hope are doing in the community e.g. providing women with loans so they can start up a business (e.g. selling fruit & veg or coal) and provide for their family, regular check-ups of sponsored children and their families to ensure they are receiving adequate support, holding community awareness initiatives to empower and educate the community on pertinent issues (most recently a sex education talk for adolescents) etc.

At the moment I’m still trying to observe all areas of the organisation so as to get a better idea of where I can be of most use. I’m looking forward to finding out what this might be!

Outside of the office I’ve had time to take a tour of the city – on a boda-boda (50-100cc motorcycles) – visiting the main Hindu temple, the Baha’i temple, the Gadaffi Mosque (so called as he funded the building of it; we had to don traditional Muslim wear for this!), which provided a 360° view of the city from its minaret, & also Idi Amin’s creepy torture chambers, which still have hand & footprints visible on the walls.

My temporary conversion to Islam

I’ve managed to get myself to the city’s central market (Will would be glad not to be dragged to this one!), which is pretty damned hectic  with people, cars, bodas and matatus (minibuses) everywhere, making it really difficult to get anywhere quickly and makes crossing the road a major challenge.  The only thing I can think that’s similar at Glastonbury when it seems the entire population is trying to simultaneously move from one stage to another to see a popular group.  Once acclimatised to the hustle and bustle that’s going on it’s fun to look around and have a haggle over something (they sell pretty much everything for the fraction of store prices).

Looking really cool on a boda-boda!

I’ve tried a comedy evening at the Uganda National Theatre but unfortunately much of it was in Lugandan so we didn’t understand much of it  L. From the sketch shows that were being acted out it seemed quite slap-stick and the locals seemed to enjoy it.

I’m slowly getting used to ‘African time’ (although not necessarily more accepting of it!) – basically here meetings/appointments, be they business or personal, are regularly attended late – not by just 10 mins but maybe 3 hours! Life here is generally more laid-back than in the UK, which is weird, having been used to working on fast-forward a lot of the time, but quite nice too! 

I’ve experienced a few power cuts since arriving, sometimes lasting 30mins other times 24 hrs! This makes taking a shower/eating dinner interesting (relying on a torch for light). 

Mosquitos are driving me mad – I’m not sure I’ll get used to them (right now they’re buzzing around me and threatening to inflict further bites). But I suppose if that’s the most of my worries I can’t really complain! I’m in good health and am happy to here, although missing friends and family back home of course - thanks to all of you who’ve messaged me via text/Facebook, it’s really lovely to hear from you and I promise to get around to replying very soon (I can access Facebook via free Wifi nearby but the connection is not always great so sending more than a single line response can be tricky with my limited patience!).  

Happy & healthy see? No need to worry Mum!!