We have already fallen in love with Uganda- a country of great sunshine and fantastic views. Between these there has been a lot of rain (to remind us of home), insects, gecko lizards, outdoor and cold showers and unusual toilets.
Culturally things are very different here. So far the biggest difference has been the language. There are many local languages in Uganda, depending on the region, but the official language is English. However this has not been easy to understand, with heavy local accents. We are more and more aware of the advanced English we use to speak and are slowly learning to choose our words more carefully and slow down! We hope to learn some local words and phrases when we reach the hospital.
One of the most unusual things so far has been how locals react to seeing us around. It is unusual to see Caucasians here, so whenever we drive through an area of walk along locals stare, children shout and wave and follow us! This is understandable in this culture, but takes a little adapting from London.
Life is very different for the locals here, with most relying on tourism and subsidence farming for income. Work is heavily manual- we are yet to see a machine used for any manufacturing or farming. Everything is done by hand, not even by animals. We have been amazed to see locals fishing, building and firing bricks, quarrying, sawing wood, growing plants and harvesting, all by hand!
Poverty is evident, more in some areas than others, but most people here are very happy and friendly which is great to see. Health issues obviously have a large impact here, and some are clear to see from a distance. We are most looking forward to visiting the hospital and seeing the true impacts of these and understanding life here more, without the tourist gloss!
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