Green wherever you look, kindness wherever you go

I arrived in Uganda in September and have since had the opportunity to explore this beautiful country.

Before applying for the ESC position, I honestly never thought about going to Uganda; it just wasn’t on my travel list. But here I am, over 8000km from my beautiful mountains, forests and lakes, trying to see as much of this country as possible.

I have not travelled to all regions of Uganda; for example, I have not visited the volcanos in the southwest just because some foreign ministries advise tourists not to go there. But I have been to a few places so far, and wherever I went, I was blown away by the beauty of this country.

This beauty is not just the breathtaking flora and fauna but also the kind-hearted and welcoming local communities. Even if someone only has little, they will open their home to you and treat you with a kindness that’s unparalleled.

While taking a short trip to Bugala, one of the 84 islands in Lake Victoria, I was taking a tour of the island with a local guide. However, heavy rain surprised us, and my guide and I took shelter in the hut of a local family. The family invited us in, so we sat there talking with the grandmother, her grandson, and great-grandchildren, and we were offered hot tea to warm up. In this moment I wondered if someone in my home country would open their door to complete strangers and welcome them with the same kindness I received here.

In Sipi, my friends and I spent some relaxing time at a hostel with the perfect view of the Sipi Falls. To enjoy nature and culture, we decided to do a coffee tour. From roasting, pounding, and grinding the beans to finally drinking “our” coffee. It was a delicious and educational experience. I learned that you can drink “coffee tea” by boiling the outer layer of the coffee beans. And I tasted freshly roasted beans with brown sugar – it's soo delicious. Since Sipi is known for the Sipi Falls, we obviously also had to hike to the three waterfalls.

On other weekends, my friends and I went to Jinja and Entebbe. It was like a quick escape from Kampala's busy and loud life. Both places offer relaxation, nature, and good food. Entebbe even has two nice places with vegan food, which made me very happy. 

But I think my favourite experience so far was the New Year’s Celebration. At Villa Mamu I got to know three wonderful young women and their mum, originally from a village called Pakwach. After a very long bus ride, I was welcomed into their home with so much kindness and love that it was overwhelming. Sitting on the mat under the mango tree with the Grandma, cutting vegetables for dinner without a board and laughing about my misshaped pieces, staring in silence up into the night sky, … so many memories that I will treasure. Pakwach is right next to Murchinson Falls National Park, so I also went on a one-day safari and finally saw a leopard, which is a long-time wish of mine. And New Year’s – wow. The joy, the happiness, the laughter and screams of the people when they saw the few fireworks that were shot into the night sky, it was such a pure delight that the people back home with the hundreds of fireworks they see have definitely lost.

My last trip was to Yumbe, this was not about fun or adventure, it was about learning and understanding. In the area up north next to the Sudanese boarder are several refugee settlements. One of which is the second largest in the world. Since I aspire to work in the field of education in emergencies, I went there to talk with local NGOs to learn in more detail about their work. I also went to visit one of the settlements with the Ugandan Red Cross to understand the difficulties people face in these settings. The area is extremely hot and dry, which makes the living conditions quite hard. On the way back to Kampala I passed through Gulu and was yet again impressed by the vast nature surrounding me. From a dry and brown landscape to lush greens and beautiful hills.

 

Uganda has caught me by surprise and I can say, “Uganda is definitely worth a visit!”