Day 75: What I will NOT miss about Uganda

1. Food (lack of choices, lack of flavor): Man this has made a major impact on my chronic homesickness I have felt. I truly believe if the food had been bangin (like Sierra Leonean food) would have not felt like I wanted to go back home as much. I have had some good Ugandan food but it highly depends on who makes it. For the most part food has either been tasteless or incredibly monotonous. I will pig out for at least two weeks after I get back.

2. People being enamored with Mzungus (white people): Now I just have to be straight up and speak my mind on this one. Every time I would go somewhere with the other fellow (she’s Asian) and other white ppl I was around here the people especially the little kids get so excited and yell “Mzungu! How are you?” or ask to be picked up. I literally will stand there while they completely ignore me. I am sure it’s because I look like everyone else (esp since I’m dark skinned) that they see on a daily basis but still it really makes me annoyed. Also when we go into town the boda boda (motorcycle) drivers will clamor over the white people to try and give them a ride. I mean I know its bc they assume they have more ney and can overcharge them but its more like this fascination with a person being white. Almost like they worship them. Like they feel they have to go out of their way for them. I think this mindset is really sad and it shows their lack of knowledge about what Muzungu countries have done to Africa as a whole. In the form of colonialism, pillaging of resources, and pitting tribal groups against each other, Muzungus have put Africa where it is now: incredibly under developed, lagging behind in nearly every health indicator and a cauldron of civil wars for decades. I know many “Muzungu nations” have provided vast amounts of aid to Africa in recent years, particularly for HIV/AIDS but I feel its like trying to get credit for helping someone up you pushed down in the first place. The mindset of many Africans only perpetuates the view that Muzungus will be the saviors for Africa. This really hurt me because I feel like African countries have to stop looking to the West for solutions, thinking they are better than them, and worshipping the ground they walk on. ::Ending rant and stepping off of soapbox::

3. Trash dumped everywhere: I mean its just not sanitary to be breathing in trash that’s been dumped on the side of nearly every road. If the trash has not been dumped and left then it is burned. Again, breathing in the smoke from burning trash is just not good.

4. Shady guesthouse people: I have come to the conclusion that they are all compulsive/pathological liars. They lie about dumb stuff. Like stuff there’s just no reason to lie about. For example I have asked couple of them their ages. Either another one will tell me the other one is lying or they come to be later and said they lied about their age so they could feel younger. WTF? Is it really that serious? To me that means that you are just accustomed to lies coming out your mouth…compulsively. Don’t forget about the things they stole….

5. Lack of timeliness: I know I put this in my what I will miss entry but I gotta include it here as well. I am a very schedule oriented person. I like making plans and having an agenda. Its okay if we divert from it a little bit but I need to at least have a tentative plan in place before I go or do something. Its gotten me this far in life. Here in Uganda, all of that has gone out of the window. Its hard to get people to commit to a certain time or place and following through on it. Very hard.

6. Treatment of women: Women are not fully appreciated. Plain and simple. Women work so hard here…I always see them out sweeping or digging (picking vegetables in the fields) and taking care of the children. Not to say men don’t work hard either but to not get the respect and equality they deserve just makes it worse. I have noticed that women are supposed to accept certain types of treatment here. (Our gender based violence report has highlighted the inequality within relationships women face) For example, when me and the other fellow are at the bus park men will come up to us and grab our arm. Or when we are trying to cross the street and a taxi bus goes by they will grab at us as if that will make us want a ride somewhere. They would NEVER do this to a man here. Regardless of his race. Men here treat women like they are below them and it pisses me off.

7. Cold showers: Man oh man how I have missed my hot showers. Even though its summertime. Its my main way of relaxing after a stressful day. Or if I get a headache many times I’ll just stand under a hot shower and it’ll help me feel better.


8. Corruption: This is probably the main reason why Africa will not progress. Corruption is so rampant it is the norm and is not the exception. As a third world country transparency and equal opportunity for everyone is needed to make strides. It will also make the country a safer place to live Two examples: 1) when doing research for our gender based violence report we learned that many women will not go to the police to report when they are violated bc if their husband has more money (typically the case) then he can just bribe the police officers or courts and they will rule in his favor. 2) So I don’t know if you remember WAAAAAY back when I first got here (See Day 9) when we took a taxi bus (See pics below) from Jinja and they packed 25 people in when its really only supposed to have no more than 15 in there. But last weekend when we were coming back from Jijna (again) in a taxi bus, there were clearly more than 15 people in the taxi. Its wasn;t a nightmare like before because the driver didn’t keep stopping along the way to pick up folks. But I did have to sit next to a lady who decided to breastfeed her child all along they way. But I digress. Anyway we were driving along and there was a police checkpoint on the road. The driver gets out the taxi and goes to the back and I see him slipping the police officer something. It was most likely money. Now what if we had crashed? However much you gave to that officer…would it have been worth our lives? Come on now safety first people.

9. No traffic laws: Ties into number 8. There are no street lights. Anywhere. There are no road signs. Anywhere. Not even in the capital city. Nope. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way. Ever. You will get ran over if you think this. The driver will not stop. I have been clipped on the shoulder and almost hit a few more times than I care to remember.

So these are the main things I know I will definitely NOT miss here in Uganda.

Here are the taxis that you ususally have to take to travel long distances

Here is what is painted on the side of most of these taxis....um....yeah thats a lie