My time in Uganda has sadly come to an end. It’s been fulfilling, fun and sometimes frustrating but an excellent experience that I would thoroughly recommend. I will be sad to leave but excited about the next stage of my adventures. Ethiopia, here I come….!
As a farewell post I thought I would share five words that sum up my time here….
• Mzungu – if any word sums up my time In Uganda, this is it! A trip out into the villages generates hundreds (no exaggeration) of cries of “mzungu bye”, “mzungu bye”, “mzungu how are you?”. Mostly from excited children but often from adults too. White people are rare in these parts and generate great excitement. As I ride though the villages waving and smiling, I feel like a celebrity. I suppose I am around here!
• Mmmm – greetings involve multiple enquiries about someone’s health, family etc. One response is “mmmm”. In a group situation this is multiplied several times over into a melodic harmony of mmm-ing. It’s actually very beautiful to hear.
• Boda-boda – the principle form of transport whether commuting to work or transporting a bicycle, cow or sofa. No load is too big. It’s not as easy as it looks though. Despite a promising start my lessons didn’t end well. Just cuts and bruises thankfully. Am leaving the driving to the experts from now on!
• Carbs – I have never eaten so many carbs in my life! Or so few vegetables. I have missed my vegetables. Very much. But that’s not to say the carbs are not nice – chapatti is an indulgent if heavy snack while chips have become normal for breakfast. Rice, pocho and potato make up the bulk of most meals. All tasty, it’s just that Ugandans seem to have forgotten that there’s more than one food group!
• Passion – the team’s passion for helping vulnerable women shines though. But also the ubiquitous passion fruit juice. Alongside chapatti and g-nut sauce, this is my biggest food discovery. It’s deliciously sharp and tangy. I’ll be making this back home…although it may be the most expensive juice I’ve ever made when they’re not growing in the garden!