Lizzie and Andy have both landed in Uganda and have started their monumental task of finding projects for all of you guys to support! Find out below, how they’ve gotten on with their first few days in in Uganda. Follow us some more for news and pictures about how their getting on.
What is it about Africa?!
As the plane seems to skim the top of Lake Victoria, we hit the tarmac and we have arrived. Sunshine! A bit of a queue later and we’re out the doors and into the arms of our waiting driver. Karibu boutique guest house in Entebbe had kindly offered to accommodate us for our first night and as we chatted frantically about the plans for the marathon it was hard not to become over – excited.
We headed out to run some errands and stopped off to buy a rolex (a popular snack of omelette wrapped in chapatti) before retreating for a sun downer at Carpe Diem which boasts one of the best spots in Entebbe for watching the sun set over Lake Victoria.
After a delicious and extravagant breakfast at Karibu (the last for a while!) we headed off with Moses from CHEDRA – a true gem. About 35km from Entebbe you hit Kampala, Uganda’s capital city home to about 2.5 million people. A sprawling, intoxicating but safe city which is well worth a visit. We only hit its outskirts on route to Masaka and then continue for 2 and a half hours on a good tarmac road before reaching our new home for the next few months. We quickly realised that Andy and I would get to know each other more intimately then planned with just one open toilet residing in one of the bedrooms! However, we were undeterred. After a warm welcome from everyone on the compound and a bowl of rice we hit the sack.
At 9am sharp we were at the CHEDRA office where we received a round of hugs from the CHEDRA team that I believe Project Awesome would have even been proud off! We were then assigned our new clan names mine being Namanda, meaning cow (some that no me would perhaps note a fitting association!) as part of the Namanda clan I gained a new sister in a CHEDRA team member, Doreen. We then headed off to Bugabira which is the school and boarding facility supported by CHEDRA. As you will often find customary we were seated at the front of all the kids and teachers and given a formal introduction, before standing to introduce ourselves and receiving a rapturous round of applause and a great performance by the choir. There was an ease in the air between the teachers and the students and it was a pleasure to spend time here.
Masaka main street is awash with brightly coloured fabric and electrical shops. I had managed to break my phone earlier in the day and here is something I love about Uganda, nothing is ever broken. EVERYTHING is fixable! After a few enquires I was led to a guy on a back street and shortly afterwards he produced my fully functioning phone – I could have hugged him, in fact I did! There are local supermarkets where you can get everything from Heinz baked beans to tampons – I know boys, what a thrill! As the sun begins to set the town becomes alive with street vendors, bars fill up and women begin preparing dinner – the smells and the music fill your senses.
After a long dark winter prepare to be hit by some sunshine… in more ways than one.
