Initial Impressions of Uganda

 

Time flies - I am already 2 months into my deployment in Uganda!

Hello everyone, my name is Mark. I am a 26-year-old Irish volunteer who will be staying in Uganda for 6 months. It is hard to believe that I am only getting around to this blog post now, considering so much has happened in my first two months. It goes to show how chaotic life in Kampala can be. It is only now at the start of a New Year that I have taken time to reflect on the last 2 months of 2023, and my start to life in Uganda. Here are some initial impressions:

My journey to Uganda was a long one, almost 24 hours. But as I exited Entebbe airport I was greeted by the friendly face of Sam, the director of my host organization, UPA. My tiredness soon subsided as we drove from Entebbe to Kampala. This is my first time in East Africa and there were already so many new sights to take in; from the beautiful scenery of Lake Victoria to the chaotic nature of Kampala. It is hard not to experience some culture shock when entering Kampala for the first time – boda-bodas driving wherever they please to avoid the large pot-holes and traffic jam, the goats on the side of the street, the shouts of ‘Muzungu’ by street vendors selling anything from fruit to mobile phones. Something as simple as crossing the road at a junction can take some time, as European traffic rules don’t apply here. That being said, I am surprised by how quickly these things have become normal for me and a part of me loves the ‘organized chaos’ and liveliness of Kampala. The people are incredibly welcoming and helpful. As I am equally interested in them as they are in me, it has made for some great conversations and friendships. 

Adjusting to life here has definitely been made easier through my accommodation at Villa Mamu. It is located in Mengo, close to the city centre while also being removed from the chaos. There are a mix of locals and expats living in the compound, all staying long-term. This immediately creates a family atmosphere. I enjoy going to the market, to play basketball, or to local bars with the Ugandans in Villa Mamu – it has made it far easier to assimilate to everyday life here. Of course it is also nice to live with other Europeans too, where we can talk about our experiences here compared to home and go on weekend trips outside of Kampala. I am beginning to see why Uganda is called the Pearl of Africa, the country is beautiful from what I have seen so far (Sipi Falls, Lake Bunyonyi, Mount Sabyinyo summit). Christmas day here was a perfect celebration of the great mix of cultures in Villa Mamu, as we each cooked a dish from our country. Watching the fireworks from the balcony together as 2024 began further cemented the feeling of being at home here in Uganda. I am looking forward to seeing what the next 4 months bring.

The work itself has been the main challenge for me. Although UPA is my host organization under the ESC project, I am actually working for a smaller NGO called Masanafu Child and Family Support (MACAFS), as a social work / community development officer. My background is in science, and at home I was used to working long weeks with tight deadlines and fast-paced projects. I understood before coming here that I would need to be flexible and open-minded to tasks outside my project description, as organizations work differently over here than in Europe. I had experience working in a migration camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina before Uganda, so I already had exposure to this more flexible way of working and really enjoyed it. What I underestimated however, is the pace of work in Uganda. It is a lot slower compared to research and development work in Ireland and humanitarian work in Bosnia. The lack of funding within MACAFS has been a big problem for them post-Covid, as they have struggled to initiate any new projects and their existing projects have grinded to a halt. The majority of their staff have left the organization, meaning only three people remain. This was a shock for both me and Mondo, as UPA had not informed us of this situation. Basic costs such as transport for the local social worker to beneficiaries’ homes have not been possible for the last two years. This makes her work extremely difficult, because even if some of the beneficiaries visit the MACAFS office for counselling and issues are identified, there is no funding to get these people the help they need. I acted quickly and informed my Mondo mentor Kristi. Both she and Hajara were helpful and organized a meeting with UPA and MACAFS. From this meeting, funds were made available for home visits at least. Slow progress is being made, but it has been difficult at times to work effectively at MACAFS with the lack of funding and projects. I have been thinking of sustainable ways to use my microfinancing budget for MACAFS and we have begun needs assessments within the community to see what we should implement. I am also actively searching for work with other local NGOs, which Mondo has been supportive of, as they are always looking for good projects to get involved with in Uganda. I hope by the time of my next blogpost I will have a lot more to tell you on the work-front about progress made.

Despite these challenges, I am still really enjoying my time in Uganda. I have learned a lot through conversation with locals and have gained exposure to other community development projects within Uganda, which has given me key insight into how NGOs work over here and the difference between sustainable and unsustainable projects. I am learning a lot about myself and am slowly figuring out how I can help effectively over here. I am determined to leave behind something sustainable!