Rural and Urban Uganda

In many ways, rural Uganda seems like a throw back to what the western world may have been like more than a century ago. Urban centres are bustling with activity and modern relics such as cell phones, motor bikes and western fashion. Whether spending time in the very rural area of Kikagati or the urban city of Mbarara it has been clear that Uganda is extremely unique and the atmosphere very welcoming.

Ugandans are so friendly. Their genuine laugh is one that a child might have, not masked by society’s unconscious pressures to reduce laughter to a wide teeth-showing smile or an occasional chuckle, but outright boisterous laughter. It’s very refreshing.

The sights, sounds and smells are so poignant and so foreign to me that they cause pangs of unfamiliar emotions. The crippling poverty and breathtaking beauty; the progress of development and chaos of development; the stench of faeces and the sweet smell of fresh fruit. Truly enjoying it all requires leaving your usual standards back home where they belong.

Mbarara

Many people in Mbarara speak English but many do not. Runyankole and Ruchiga are the two common local dialects. There are more than 60 local dialects spoken throughout Uganda but English is the official language. In town people often stop me on the street to ask how I am and chat for a while even if they do not speak any English.

In Mbarara, our team is staying at Canada House. This is a housing complex donated to ACTS by the Church of Uganda and is actually located on official church land. Drinking is discouraged and apparently priests have been known to stop in for a visit at strange hours of the night. We are respectful by ensuring that if/ when we drink, it is done out of cups and all signs of alcohol are out of sight. Canada is a quiet place with beautiful views, running water and electricity. Power outages are common between 7:30pm – 10:30pm each evening and the tap water is not fit for drinking. We filter our water before drinking it. Our team gets on extremely well. The team is made up of Geoff (Project Leader), his father Lorne, Dax (who is filming a documentary), Jeff (who I know from my AIESEC days), and myself.

I have also been hanging out with Genevieve who lives at Canada House fresh from a separate ACTS project, and Monique, whom I met on the plane and is doing some interesting qualitative AIDS research.

To get into town, I have been hiring a boda-boda which is basically a mini motorbike. The local market is a frantic and wonderful place to get fresh pineapples, avocados, peppers, tomatoes, and mangos. The internet cafe I frequent here has a very slow connection and a funny sign that reads: "No Porn Allowed. We believe it is spiritually and physically unhealthy." A good example of what a religiously christian this society is.

Saying no to Charity

The other day, a young boy dressed in a school uniform showed up at Canada House asking for money. He explained that there was another ACTS person who regularly gives the boy money for his studies. Now the child has come to get money for shopping. When I said no, he explained that he did not even have enough money to get home. I tried to see if someone could drive him home but it was not possible. I honestly felt terrible for refusing to give the child money and I eventually had to ask the boy to leave. The experience really made me think through my position on this matter. I am here for humanitarian reasons but I do not believe in charity. I feel it’s important to help people to help themselves and give them a hand up. Just doling out hand outs creates dependency like this child has for the development worker who regularly gives him money. I don’t know how the boy got home but however he did, I hope he discovered how resourceful he can be when he needs to be.

Safari

The rainwater catchment team went on a safari recently and had a really great time. It was so hot as we rode around in the back of a pick up truck trying to spot the wildlife among the serene and lush green African landscapes. See some of the pictures I’ve included for some of the animals we saw.

Kikagati

The main language spoken in Kikagati is Runyankole while there are perhaps 5 people in the whole area who speak fluent English. Many of the people there have never seen a muzungu (white person) before and the reactions we get are very strange. As we drove into town through the rough, dusty dirt roads, people dropped their farming tools and tripped over themselves as they ran to the edge of the road and waved, cheered, and screamed “Muzungu!” and “How are you!?” Some children stood in shock while others began to cry. Waving out to the growing masses along the road felt eerily like it might have if I were an American soldier riding into a town on a tank after liberating the country from a brutal dictator. Meeting people around town has helped them get used to us a bit more. It seems that they think we all look alike. I still find it very strange when small children bow to their knees in an apparent sign of respect.

Jogging around the farming communities of Kikagati has been such an interesting experience. Partly because I injured my knee but also having all the children run along with me in their bare feet and villagers cheering me on and shaking my hand was a bit surreal. The expansive rolling hills, rich vegetation (mostly banana trees) and quaint mud huts are simply breathtaking.

The water sources people are using for their drinking water is really disgusting. The main river, an abandoned tin mine and various collecting ponds are common sources that people may walk 3 km or more to access.

Our accommodations are humble. There is a rainwater tank which we have to filter before we drink from. There are some smelly but effective latrines in the back and there are beds and mosquito nets for each of us. There is no electricity and I quickly discovered how awkward that can be but how peaceful at the same time. I have rarely experienced such darkness or seen stars shine so bright.

Food v. Sauce

There are two restaurants in town, next door to each other and they both serve typical Ugandan meals. There are no menus but one can expect to eat goat, rice, beans, potatoes, chappati (like roti) and matoke (plantain made from bananas). One night, we went to one of the restaurants and were told they had no food left. We went next door and were told they too were out of food. We didn’t know what to do. We soon learned that although they had no food, they did have rice, beans and goat. I discovered that night that in Uganda food is Matoke and Potatoes. The rest is just sauce.

Rainwater Catchment Project

Kikagati is a rural region with several small villages. One of them is called Kitezo and this is where we will be building the rainwater catchment. We had a meeting with the village leaders of Kitezo. This was a very interesting experience and one where Geoff really shone as an expert facilitator. He has done a great job in building relationships during his time in Uganda and is very well known and trusted throughout the Kikagati region.

The basic plan is:
- Community members to walk 3 km to bring hardcore rocks down from the hills which will be crushed and used for inner walls (has begun)
- Our team to pump water out of the existing pond (has begun)
- Community to excavate the pond
- ACTS construction crew to begin construction of catchment
- End date is scheduled for late August
The plan is changing however because there is a front loader (tractor) working in the Kikagati area digging out a tin mine and we are likely going to hire it to do the excavation.

Another village in Kikagati called Kabumba is where Geoff and his previous team built the last catchment. We visited the old catchment project and disturbingly, someone has been sabotaging the pump. We have theories on why this is happening but it’s difficult to figure out exactly why.

BioSand Filters

I finally got to see BioSand Filters in the field! Obed from ACTS came to Calgary a year ago to take CAWST’s training workshop. He took me on a tour where we visited five householders with BSFs. One of them was also a restaurant and had their filter front and centre for all patrons to see as they walk in. There are some technical issues:
- finding the right sand is an issue
- finding the right size mesh for sieving is a major issue
But generally the users I met were very happy with their filters.

Healthy Child Uganda

I’ve connected with a community health education program based out of the University of Mbarara. I had a meeting with the program coordinator and on later went on a site visit to see their community health workers in action. I followed them as they did household inspections to see if people were keeping their latrines clean, animals caged up, children healthy, etc.

I did a short presentation through a translator during the group’s meeting and they became so excited that they said they wanted to get taught to build a BioSand filter and use it as a pilot in one of the communities they work in. I am seeking advice on how to proceed.

Breast Feeding Frenzy

During the Healthy Child Uganda meeting there were two women speaking to the group as they breast fed their children and not in a subtle way. They whipped out their breasts in plain view while their child squeezed, poked and made sucking sounds. I told Gen and Monique later how distracting it was and how strange it seemed to me, partly because the women were so comfortable with it and also because of what a seemingly sexual activity breast feeding is. I’ve never seen it so in my face before and thought to myself, no wonder us men are so hypnotised by boobs. Getting Gen and Monique’s perspectives on the subject was interesting to me. They said they wished breast feeding in public was not so taboo in North American society. After thinking it through I realized the laughter I mentioned at the outset of this posting, this is another example of our society’s unconscious pressures to reduce something natural to a restricted and controlled activity. I am still unaware of many of the unwritten societal pressures here in Uganda but they are obviously very different than that of North America. It is refreshing to be in the midst of a very different and unique culture while rationalising my own personal values.