It feels surreal to write this, but this is my last week in Uganda. I’m wrapping up my tasks here and starting to plan my return to Estonia. Honestly, I’m not sure how to sum up this experience. Uganda has been full of contrasts for me. Time moves slower here, and I’ve learned to appreciate the importance of adjusting to this pace of life and work.
The nature in Uganda is untouched and magnificent. I hope to come back soon to explore more of its beauty. The people are generally kind, warm, and welcoming, though being constantly in the spotlight can be exhausting at times.
Kampala is hectic and overwhelming, but I’m going to miss this big city life. I’m thankful for the opportunity to experience Uganda in this way. I still can’t believe I got used to the transportation here. Taking a boda-boda in the morning to commute was an experience on its own. Despite the stress, I’m going to miss it, strange as it sounds.
This journey has had its ups and downs. I’m usually focused on reaching my goals rather than enjoying the process, but I’ve found myself appreciating the small moments here—probably because of the slower pace of life. There’s no rush, and I’m going to miss that too.
In numbers, over 175 days of deployment, I conducted 18 digital competency training workshops in 4 organisations (MYDEL, CEFOVID, CeSA and UPA Central Branch), delivered 10 semi-structured interviews for data collection, attended 20 Luganda classes, an many more. Thinking about sustainability and development cooperation, I hope I’ve managed to implement some interventions that made a difference in someone’s life. There are days that feel more satisfying, and there are days when I’ve had to push myself. But in the bigger picture, I hope it all counts.
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| Together with the group of CeSA on digital competencies training |
Beyond the numbers, what truly defined my time here was the change in my attitude, the broadening of my perspective, and the full exploration of a new country thanks to this deployment. And I do hope that I had a chance to give something back to you, Uganda.
Thank you for the experience!
Kaisa
