staying in kampala for now...

October 24^th, 2010

Well, it is Sunday and I am still in Kampala. Plans have changed a bit, and it looks like I am not going to be heading north to Pader for another couple weeks. The work I am doing in the city now will keep me busy for now, and so I will be staying put until at least the first weekend of November.

The first week in the new place has been good. Unlike the hotel I was at, this place doesn’t have a generator and so when the power goes out, as it often does, it can throw a bit of a wrench in whatever it is you might be doing (i.e. cooking dinner). Luckily enough the power has only gone out once in the evening. The sun sets here around 7 or so every day, and if the power is out, the apartment becomes dark as night! Gives you a reason to go to the bar, not that we have needed one most nights! I have met quite a few really cool people that I have been having dinner and hitting the bars with.  I have just kind of joined their little group, but everyone is a lot of fun. 

Dave (the Aussie) and I made it out to play tennis yesterday at a court nearby, which was a blast! The club let us play on the centre court, chalked up the lines before we started, and even offered us a ball boy (to which we declined)! We had a bit of an audience as the military and police would come and watch as they had their lunch. Kind of felt like we were playing on the clay at the French Open at Roland Garros! Just beyond the courts, in the cricket pitch, the National Resistance Movement (NRM; governing party in Uganda) was hosting their nominations for presidential candidates. Of course there is no doubt that current President Yoweri Museveni will be the nominated candidate. The impending election (scheduled for February or March) is a popular topic of conversation right now in Uganda. This will be the third multi-party election in Uganda, and there is quite a bit of dissension among Ugandans towards the current government. Museveni has been in power for 24 years to date. Many are sceptical as to how fair this election, like those previous, will be. From speaking with several local Ugandans, it is very evident that the government has been handing out money, in exchange for votes, and people are upset by it. Moreover, promises haven’t been fulfilled, nepotism is common place in the government, and people aren’t noticing a change, at least in Kampala. In light of this, most people think Museveni will win this election because the opposition is not organized or strong enough, and this will mean another five years in power.  It will be an interesting and exciting few months leading up the election.

On a similar issue, Southern Sudan is holding a referendum in January on the issue of secession. As Sudan borders Uganda to the north, there is the potential for there to be spill over effects in Uganda. The referendum has the potential to be a bit more volatile than the Ugandan election and so the New Year brings quite a bit excitement and uncertainty in the region! 

              

A Ugandan newspaper made headlines around the world this week, but it received very little attention here in Kampala. A magazine called Rolling Stone published the names and addresses of 100 gay Ugandans, and called for their hanging. Homosexuality has been a hot issue in Uganda lately, with an MP introducing a bill last fall that would see the death penalty be handed out as a sentence for homosexuals in some cases. Homosexuality is currently against the law in Uganda, and has the potential to carry a lengthy prison sentence.   Unfortunately, this is not uncommon among African countries. Between this and the story back in the US about the four young people who committed suicide because they were bullied for being gay, it is quite unnerving. 

Go Leafs Go!

getting to know kampala.

October 18^th, 2010

At long last, I have found a place to rest my head at night. After looking at hostels, hotels, houses and apartments, I have settled in at old military barracks built by Idi Amin in the 1970s. A couple of other guys, an Aussie and an American, have agreed to let me the flat for my time here. A bit dodgy looking from the outside, but the inside is quite satisfactory. A little heavy on the mosquitoes, but other than that I really can’t complain. But I mustn’t get too settled, as I just found out today that AMREF wants me to go to the north, to the Pader district, on Sunday through until the end of November.  There is a water and sanitation project coming to an end and they have asked me to ‘document its closing out.’ Can’t be sure what this entails right now, but I am eager to see another part of the country and experience life outside of the big city. I keep hearing how so much different the village life is from the city. Up until this point I have been working out of the Country Office, in Kampala, assisting in the research and design of an HIV/AIDS prevention proposal.

Kampala is slowly becoming more familiar, and I am slowly becoming more comfortable getting around the city.  When I arrived, the first few days I was scared to step on to the street. The traffic is like nothing I have ever seen for so many reasons. There are four traffic lights in the entire city, and half of the vehicles don’t obey. There are no lanes, or stop signs, or common road etiquette. The first couple days I thought it was pure chaos, without any sort of direction or order at all. I have now realized that it is chaos, but there is some sort of understanding among the drivers, which I cannot begin to explain through a blog. Because there is such lack of structure, rush hour (or the jam) is far worse than anything I have seen back home. And when it rains, forget about getting anywhere. It took me nearly two hours, to get 8 kilometres across the city after work today. It took another friend 3 hours and she only made it half way.

Bodas, or motocycle taxis, are the quickest means of getting around, but certainly not the safest. Every day I hear another story of someone who has had a terrible accident on the boda. But riding them is almost unavoidable, especially in the jam, because they can manoeuvre through the cars and get you where you need to be quicker than anything else. Needless to say I have been on the look out for a helmet, at which point I won’t feel like I am risking my life every time I get on one.  

A couple people have been asking for pictures, and to be honest, I haven’t taken one. I will, in time, and hopefully there will be some coming soon.

first steps on african soil.

October 7^th, 2010

I am sitting here in my hotel reminiscing about my first two days in Uganda, in Africa. As I look around the room and listen to the sounds, I can't tell if I am in Toronto or London or Kampala. It is a bustling city, not unlike the others. The sun has set, and while there are no street lights, it remains busy. I arrived here on (yesterday) Wednesday morning, after travelling for about 27 hours. I hadn’t slept in over 40. I was jet lagged, and tired, and desperately wanting a bed. As soon as I stepped off the plane, all of my senses had been aroused. As we walked into the airport, the first thing I see is an advertisement for the iPhone 4. Where am I? I thought. That alone blew all expectations I shouldn’t have already had, right out the door. After seeing that, I decided that I would no longer assume or expect anything, as difficult as it might be. 

I know this wasn't written today, but I haven't had time to upload it - and hopefully they will be posted on the day I write them from now on. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!