Hey Muzungu*: Our first week in Uganda

After a 14 hours flight to Entebbe and 2 and a half hours drive to Nansana, a semi-urban suburb of Kampala, we finally arrived at our new home for the next six months.
The six of us are living together in the second floor of a two storey building in the heart of Nansana. Although there is a lack of hot water, we are very happy since it’s more than we had imagined. Each of us has its own room and we share one kitchen and three living rooms. During night we are protected by Po, our security guard, who is armed with a bow and arrows.
Our house is located only 15 minutes walk from the Ugandan Pioneer’s Association (UPA), the local organisation we are working with. It is a voluntary non-governmental organisation focused on offering youth the opportunity to contribute to community development by involving them in community projects, workcamps and international volunteer exchange. UPA is mainly run by volunteers, with only three full-time staff in the main office. It’s got ten branches in Uganda, mainly in the North. Since our task will be to identify gaps in the programmes of UPA and to give new inputs for the upcoming 25th anniversary of UPA, we will be travelling to UPA’s branches. The formerly mentioned event is intended to make UPA’s work more visible and attractive.
Uganda is known as the pearl of Africa and its people are very welcoming, active and lively. Ugandans´ daily activities are mainly taking place in the streets where they wash, cook, play, socialize and work. Our house is situated in a very busy and lively street in Nansana where there is place and time to eat, have a drink, play pool or take a walk at anytime.
That’s it from us for today. You will soon get a new update of our UgandaN-Style!

Anna, Abi, Isabel, Sarah, Nabila, Julian

*Muzungu: means white/foreigner in Luganda (the local language) and children call us all like this. It is not to be understood as an insult
*Matatu: public transport in old minibuses.

After a 14 hours flight to Entebbe and 2 and a half hours drive to Nansana, a semi-urban suburb of Kampala, we finally arrived at our new home for the next six months.

The six of us are living together in the second floor of a two storey building in the heart of Nansana. Although there is a lack of hot water, we are very happy since it’s more than we had imagined. Each of us has its own room and we share one kitchen and three living rooms. During night we are protected by Po, our security guard, who is armed with a bow and arrows.

Our house is located only 15 minutes walk from the Ugandan Pioneer’s Association (UPA), the local organisation we are working with. It is a voluntary non-governmental organisation focused on offering youth the opportunity to contribute to community development by involving them in community projects, workcamps and international volunteer exchange. UPA is mainly run by volunteers, with only three full-time staff in the main office. It’s got ten branches in Uganda, mainly in the North. Since our task will be to identify gaps in the programmes of UPA and to give new inputs for the upcoming 25th anniversary of UPA, we will be travelling to UPA’s branches. The formerly mentioned event is intended to make UPA’s work more visible and attractive.

Uganda is known as the pearl of Africa and its people are very welcoming, active and lively. Ugandans´ daily activities are mainly taking place in the streets where they wash, cook, play, socialize and work. Our house is situated in a very busy and lively street in Nansana where there is place and time to eat, have a drink, play pool or take a walk at anytime.

That’s it from us for today. You will soon get a new update of our UgandaN-Style!

Anna, Abi, Isabel, Sarah, Nabila, Julian

*Muzungu: means white/foreigner in Luganda (the local language) and children call us all like this. It is not to be understood as an insult

*Matatu: public transport in old minibuses.

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