Hi everyone, I'm Raphael Piero, currently living and working as an Education Officer in Uganda. I'm supporting a school in a small village called Kikooba, about a two-hour drive north of Kampala. More on that later.
Uganda's beauty is undeniable. Lush greenery stretches as far as the eye can see(ignoring the big city's), nourished by the ideal subtropical climate and the country's characteristic reddish soil. However, a looming challenge exists – as people here told me, the rainy seasons seem to be becoming increasingly erratic, posing difficulties for Ugandan farmers, who make up over half the population.
My initial impressions of Kampala were overwhelming. Motorbikes, called Boda Bodas, weave through traffic in a way I'd never seen before. The initial chaos was disorienting, but I've grown accustomed to it, and now I find navigating the city on a Boda Boda exhilarating. It's the fastest way to get around, especially compared to cars that move slowly to the traffic.
Another new experience for me has been shopping at Ugandan markets. Unlike supermarkets back home, Ugandan markets offer a vibrant atmosphere and the chance to interact with vendors while honing my bargaining skills. It's a fun way to immerse myself in the local culture.
People in general here are really kind and helpful, while being also quit shy sometimes, especially in the countryside.
These two places offer a fascinating contrast. Kampala is energetic and loud, while Kikooba is a tranquil village with unreliable electricity and spotty phone service but beautiful nature. Initially, integrating into the Kikooba community proved challenging due to the language barrier. (English is barley spoken here) However, I've come to appreciate the "simpler" lifestyle here. It's given me the opportunity to enjoy the clean air and the calmness of the village life and even the possibility to go for runs, something mostly impossible in Kampala. I've also connected with local children, who are curious about meeting someone from a different background. What also helped is that we are now taking Luganden (one of the local languages) classes, which gives me the chance to interact with people more easily.
My current role at the school involves supporting teachers with organizing their office work, particularly showing them how to use their new donated laptop and working on digitalisation. This focus at the moment is manly because the school is currently on vacation. In the future, the plan is also to support the teachers in class.
Finally I also had the chance to visit some other places in Uganda. I went to Sipi, a village on Mount Elgon in the east of Uganda. Because it is one of the famous coffee growing regions in Uganda and as I used to work in coffee in germany and am in general really interested in learning about it, this place was very special for me. Also with the other volunteers we visited the SINA innovation center in Mpigi. A beautiful place where people with difficult social backgrounds, have the chance to work on their entrepreneur skills and develop sustainable products and ideas.
I'll be sharing more about my Ugandan adventures soon – stay tuned!
