So my official 'job' title is now 'traveler' until at least 17 April 2013 (the day I land in London) when I'll revert to simply being 'unemployed'. Volunteering is now a thing of the past as I said goodbye to the team at EACO today.
I thought to mark the occasion I'd share the three things I'll miss most about volunteering and life in Mukono and the three things I'll miss the least.
The good (things I will miss)
1. Feeling like I have the opportunity to change a person's life. There were certainly days where I felt my presence was more of a hindrance than a help, but no matter how small the help I have given here, it has been given to organisations that really do change lives for the better, even if my personal contribution doesn't. I got into an argument with a South African guy last weekend whose view was that volunteering is essentially a waste of time. His opinion was that people living in poverty are happier than us, as they don't know any better and helping them results in them realising that they are 'missing out'. Suffice to say that I didn't agree with this view. The people that organisations like EACO and the Real Uganda work with already know there is a big wide world out there that they are missing out on. I also don't agree that people who can't afford to send their children to school or to seek medical treatment are happy. The conversation ended with the said South African telling me that I didn't know anything about Africa and storming off!
2. The children. It was really hard saying a final goodbye to the kids at school. They sung me four songs, unfortunately I can't upload videos - I have a few of them singing which are adorable. I'll also miss having kids from school seeing me down the street and screaming Teacher Lucy. I saw one kid from P4 down in town the other day and he sprinted up to me and gave me a huge hug. I'll also miss the random kids yelling 'bye mzungu' and waving madly and the resultant beaming smile if I talk to them or wave back.
3. Being settled in one place. Next on the agenda is two weeks travelling in Uganda and Kenya and then a further seven weeks travelling overland to Cape Town. I am dreading having to pack up my bag everyday. I'm dreading having to lug it around. I'm dreading having to pitch a tent each day. Volunteering is actually a very settled way of getting to know a country and how it ticks. Being on the move just doesn't give the same opportunities to get to meet people either. I leave Uganda with Ugandan friends.
The bad (things I won't be missing)
1. I'm sick of being a mzungu and the attention that it draws (other than the kids). No I don't want a boda boda. No you can't have my number (I swear that I have had more people ask for my number in the last few weeks than the rest of my life combined). No I'm not going to show you where I live. And please don't yell out 'sister' 'mama' or 'beautiful' at me from across the road, it is not going to make me come and talk to you.
2. I'm looking forward to not spending so much time thinking about all the problems facing the country (and Africa). A big scandal here over the past few weeks has been the unveiling of a large corruption ring in the Prime Minister's office. Billions of shillings of aid given by the Irish government was found in about 10 staff members private accounts. Ireland, the UK, Denmark and Sweden have all pulled aid from being sent to Uganda. I don't like to think about how this impacts the people/causes the aid was earmarked to help. It may sound bad but it will be nice to be back in my safe and comfortable life without having to face the reality of life here on a daily basis.
3. Home comforts (although some of these will have to wait a few weeks yet). To name a few: sit down toilets; washing machines; salads; NZ wine; cheese; hot showers; kitchen sinks with running water... (I could go on).
Next post most likely coming to you from Kenya!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Colonial relics
Last weekend I attended the polo with another volunteer from the Real Uganda. It was a proper colonial Uganda type experience and there really weren't any other travellers in sight (most people seemed to be wealthy Ugandans or expats). It was a bit of an insight into life for the well-to-do expat living in Uganda.
We were definitely punching above our weight and ended up with front row seats next to the Governor of the Central Bank and the Indian High Commissioner (these facts were ascertained as photographers were taking a lot of photos and we managed to overhear someone introducing them).
The polo itself was great to watch, we had great seats and the crowd was small. Being at the polo reminded me that Ugandan was once an English colony (and the 50th anniversary of independence was in October this year) and it also got me thinking about some of the funny little relics from English rule that exist here which I thought might be interesting to share:
1. Tea - Ugandans absolutely love to drink tea. It is a lot more popular that coffee. Often the hot water will be infused (usually with ginger or mint) before the tea bag is added. A delicious way to drink tea without milk (milk isn't particularly common, I expect that the lack of refrigeration is largely to blame).
2. The English language - although it is not the first language for most people (there are a number of different local languages - in Mukono it is Lugandan) English is still an official language in Uganda. From about P3 up, all classes are supposed to be taught in English, although this is not always strictly followed. The English spoken, it would be fair to say, is not always quite the Queen's English either. There are a number of funny turns of phrase. A couple of examples: (1) "we come" means "lets go together" (2) an 'e' sound added to the end of many words, eg the name Jack, is pronounced Jackie, bye is pronounced by-e.
3. Driving on the left hand side - for some reason I was surprised when I realized that Ugandans drive on the left hand side of the road.
4. Sport - people go absolutely mad for the English Premiership here. Everyone asks me which team I support and everyone here has a team that they support (Arsenal seems to be the most popular). I have probably watched more football in the last 2 months than I watched in a whole year living in London. They also play rugby, cricket and netball.
5. A tendency to boil every single vegetable until it resembles mash - I associate this practice with England and can report that it is alive and well here. Salads or any raw vegetables are essentially non-existent within the Ugandan diet. Every vegetable served is boiled to its death - cabbage in particular.
6. Last but certainly not least, beer and gin - the two most common alcoholic beverages. The most common local beers are Nile Special, Club and Bell. Interestingly the most common 'imported' beer is Guinness. It is advertised absolutely everywhere. Apparently it doesn't taste the same as real Guinness (but let's be honest surely it can't be worse?). I put its dominance down to the Irish missionaries (there other legacy is that potatoes are simply called 'Irish' here). The local gin is pretty nasty stuff - Lonely Planet warns that if enough is consumed it can turn you blind!
Anyway, that is all I have time for today. I'm busy packing as tomorrow is my last day volunteering and on Wednesday I am off to the south of Uganda to go gorilla trekking. A final verdict on my experience volunteering is to follow in the next few days.
We were definitely punching above our weight and ended up with front row seats next to the Governor of the Central Bank and the Indian High Commissioner (these facts were ascertained as photographers were taking a lot of photos and we managed to overhear someone introducing them).
The polo itself was great to watch, we had great seats and the crowd was small. Being at the polo reminded me that Ugandan was once an English colony (and the 50th anniversary of independence was in October this year) and it also got me thinking about some of the funny little relics from English rule that exist here which I thought might be interesting to share:
1. Tea - Ugandans absolutely love to drink tea. It is a lot more popular that coffee. Often the hot water will be infused (usually with ginger or mint) before the tea bag is added. A delicious way to drink tea without milk (milk isn't particularly common, I expect that the lack of refrigeration is largely to blame).
2. The English language - although it is not the first language for most people (there are a number of different local languages - in Mukono it is Lugandan) English is still an official language in Uganda. From about P3 up, all classes are supposed to be taught in English, although this is not always strictly followed. The English spoken, it would be fair to say, is not always quite the Queen's English either. There are a number of funny turns of phrase. A couple of examples: (1) "we come" means "lets go together" (2) an 'e' sound added to the end of many words, eg the name Jack, is pronounced Jackie, bye is pronounced by-e.
3. Driving on the left hand side - for some reason I was surprised when I realized that Ugandans drive on the left hand side of the road.
4. Sport - people go absolutely mad for the English Premiership here. Everyone asks me which team I support and everyone here has a team that they support (Arsenal seems to be the most popular). I have probably watched more football in the last 2 months than I watched in a whole year living in London. They also play rugby, cricket and netball.
5. A tendency to boil every single vegetable until it resembles mash - I associate this practice with England and can report that it is alive and well here. Salads or any raw vegetables are essentially non-existent within the Ugandan diet. Every vegetable served is boiled to its death - cabbage in particular.
6. Last but certainly not least, beer and gin - the two most common alcoholic beverages. The most common local beers are Nile Special, Club and Bell. Interestingly the most common 'imported' beer is Guinness. It is advertised absolutely everywhere. Apparently it doesn't taste the same as real Guinness (but let's be honest surely it can't be worse?). I put its dominance down to the Irish missionaries (there other legacy is that potatoes are simply called 'Irish' here). The local gin is pretty nasty stuff - Lonely Planet warns that if enough is consumed it can turn you blind!
Anyway, that is all I have time for today. I'm busy packing as tomorrow is my last day volunteering and on Wednesday I am off to the south of Uganda to go gorilla trekking. A final verdict on my experience volunteering is to follow in the next few days.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink
After two months here, I think the thing that I still find most astounding in Uganda is that, depsite the amount it rains, there is a huge lack of ready access to clean water.
Mukono is a large town, there is access to piped water supplied by the council on some streets, but very few people use it due to the expense. Even the 'apartment' where I live has no running water (and believe me, the standard of accommodation where I am is much better than the houses most people in the community live in).
The water I use is collected from a rainwater tank at the bottom of the apartment complex (I live on the third floor). While the distance it has to carried is much less than most people face, it still means no running water. All water is carried and stored in jerry cans. There is no shower, no sink. Plastic buckets serve as the shower, the kitchen sink and the washing machine.
For me personally no running water isn't a hardship. My water is collected for me. A bucket shower is pretty effective and I have got used to traipsing outside to the pit toilet.
But I can't help think of all the people who have to walk to collect water and the difficulties water collection creates.
1. It can be a long way to walk. The well that the school that I volunteered at uses is 1km from school. The distance can be much greater.
2. It takes a long time. In addition to the walk to the well. there is often a queue before the water can be collected (often hours long due to the demand placed on individual wells and bore holes). Water collection can literally take hours out of the day. It is no wonder that it takes so long for things to happen here in Uganda. Productivity is severely hampered by everyday tasks.
3. In many places the water can be very poor quality. The murky water in the photo below gives an indication.
4. It is dangerous. How you might ask? Well often bore holes and wells are at the bottom of valleys surrounded by bush (as this is where the water source is). Given collection generally has to occur outside school/work hours it is often dark (remember, school doesn't finish until 5.30pm and it gets dark around 6.30pm). Water collection is a real danger for children targeted for child sacrifice. Women also get raped on occasion when walking in the dark to collect water.
So, when the water pressure in your shower isn't quite what you hoped today, give a thought for those who don't even have the luxury of running water.
Mukono is a large town, there is access to piped water supplied by the council on some streets, but very few people use it due to the expense. Even the 'apartment' where I live has no running water (and believe me, the standard of accommodation where I am is much better than the houses most people in the community live in).
The water I use is collected from a rainwater tank at the bottom of the apartment complex (I live on the third floor). While the distance it has to carried is much less than most people face, it still means no running water. All water is carried and stored in jerry cans. There is no shower, no sink. Plastic buckets serve as the shower, the kitchen sink and the washing machine.
For me personally no running water isn't a hardship. My water is collected for me. A bucket shower is pretty effective and I have got used to traipsing outside to the pit toilet.
But I can't help think of all the people who have to walk to collect water and the difficulties water collection creates.
1. It can be a long way to walk. The well that the school that I volunteered at uses is 1km from school. The distance can be much greater.
2. It takes a long time. In addition to the walk to the well. there is often a queue before the water can be collected (often hours long due to the demand placed on individual wells and bore holes). Water collection can literally take hours out of the day. It is no wonder that it takes so long for things to happen here in Uganda. Productivity is severely hampered by everyday tasks.
3. In many places the water can be very poor quality. The murky water in the photo below gives an indication.
4. It is dangerous. How you might ask? Well often bore holes and wells are at the bottom of valleys surrounded by bush (as this is where the water source is). Given collection generally has to occur outside school/work hours it is often dark (remember, school doesn't finish until 5.30pm and it gets dark around 6.30pm). Water collection is a real danger for children targeted for child sacrifice. Women also get raped on occasion when walking in the dark to collect water.
So, when the water pressure in your shower isn't quite what you hoped today, give a thought for those who don't even have the luxury of running water.
 |
| This is one water hole I visited that people collect their water from. |
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| The water stored where I live. |
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| The shower/washing machine. |
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Photo time
Thus far the entirety of my blog has been written on my iPhone. It is not exactly ideal for writing long blog posts but I am coping with writing the text itself. The main disadvantage of using the iPhone is that I haven't been able to upload any of my photos from my SLR camera. Today I have ventured to the internet cafe to attempt to show you some of my photos (with the added bonus that if I have my camera stolen like I did in South America I will at least have some of my favorite photos backed up).
I have taken a lot of black and white photos since I have been here. This is just one. If I get a decent internet connection anytime soon I'll upload some more.
The Nile on a beautiful evening as we overlooked it from the Adrift campsite. I would seriously recommend the white water rafting, insane fun, especially the 15ft waterfall on the first rapid.
Children here are so photogenic. The half off, ripped tee shirt is a common sight.
This photograph was taken in Katosi, which was the "port" we left from for the trip out onto Lake Victoria. Cows are literally tethered everywhere in Uganda. In fact there are two cows referred to as the "rubbish tip cows" as they graze on one of the rubbish tips in Mukono. Its no wonder that the beef tastes so strong here.
These were some of the children that mobbed us when we arrived at the first island on Lake Victoria. They were very intrigued to see photos of themselves on our cameras and couldn't stop giggling and laughing whenever we showed them their photos.
This is a photograph taken through the crack between the wooden boards of our accommodation on the island. A snapshot of island life early in the morning.
I have hundreds more photos, but unfortunately the internet connection here is pretty slow and for some reason blogger is really slow at loading these. I will try and load some more photos at some stage. As the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words.
Children here are so photogenic. The half off, ripped tee shirt is a common sight.
I have hundreds more photos, but unfortunately the internet connection here is pretty slow and for some reason blogger is really slow at loading these. I will try and load some more photos at some stage. As the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Don't eat monkeys
Is one of the pieces of advice being issued by the Ministry of Health following a new outbreak of Ebola.
The outbreak is actually quite close to where I'm living so I'll definitely be taking on this advice (and staying away from dead people).
Ebola outbreaks are always widely reported on internationally (and I only heard about the latest one because I was on the BBC website). While undoubtedly a scary virus given the very high death rate, the numbers can be quickly thrown out of proportion. There was another Ebola outbreak in Uganda earlier in the year that killed 16. This compares to the estimated 5 people killed daily in boda boda accidents. I'm not sure what the figures are, but I guarantee a lot more people are dying daily from untreated malaria, diarrhoea and malnutrition than by Ebola.
Nasty viruses actually seem pretty prevalent here (the is also an outbreak of another haemorrhagic virus, Marburg, at present). Advice for that one is to avoid bat caves...
In fact, any aliment seems to thrive here. I got a small cut on my leg from a school table falling on it four weeks ago. It was actually more like a scrape but it still isn't healed thanks to a superficial infection. I have also developed a nice fungal infection on my feet, charming I know.
The kids at school are like a hot house of infection too, most had a hacking cough when I was last there (which I also managed to acquire). Lice, worms and ringworm are common too. (In fact I have been told to deworm on departure as a precaution...)
The other thing that I have noticed with a lot of children is the extremely extended stomach on small children (almost like a pregnant belly). This is usually attributed to worms or malnutrition. It was also insightful to see the diseases that formed part of the school science curriculum: kwashiorkor (lack of protein) and marasmus (lack of carbohydrates) are two nutrition related diseases I'd never heard of which children here learn about (of course it may just be saying something about my ignorance).
Anyhow, I digress from the Ebola outbreak and avoiding eating monkeys. The moral of the post is that Ebola is bad but so are many other health and nutrition related issues facing the country.
The outbreak is actually quite close to where I'm living so I'll definitely be taking on this advice (and staying away from dead people).
Ebola outbreaks are always widely reported on internationally (and I only heard about the latest one because I was on the BBC website). While undoubtedly a scary virus given the very high death rate, the numbers can be quickly thrown out of proportion. There was another Ebola outbreak in Uganda earlier in the year that killed 16. This compares to the estimated 5 people killed daily in boda boda accidents. I'm not sure what the figures are, but I guarantee a lot more people are dying daily from untreated malaria, diarrhoea and malnutrition than by Ebola.
Nasty viruses actually seem pretty prevalent here (the is also an outbreak of another haemorrhagic virus, Marburg, at present). Advice for that one is to avoid bat caves...
In fact, any aliment seems to thrive here. I got a small cut on my leg from a school table falling on it four weeks ago. It was actually more like a scrape but it still isn't healed thanks to a superficial infection. I have also developed a nice fungal infection on my feet, charming I know.
The kids at school are like a hot house of infection too, most had a hacking cough when I was last there (which I also managed to acquire). Lice, worms and ringworm are common too. (In fact I have been told to deworm on departure as a precaution...)
The other thing that I have noticed with a lot of children is the extremely extended stomach on small children (almost like a pregnant belly). This is usually attributed to worms or malnutrition. It was also insightful to see the diseases that formed part of the school science curriculum: kwashiorkor (lack of protein) and marasmus (lack of carbohydrates) are two nutrition related diseases I'd never heard of which children here learn about (of course it may just be saying something about my ignorance).
Anyhow, I digress from the Ebola outbreak and avoiding eating monkeys. The moral of the post is that Ebola is bad but so are many other health and nutrition related issues facing the country.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Boda bodas, taxis and the African way of walking
Getting from A to B in Uganda can really be quite an experience. The roads are pretty damn awful, it is hot and every ride in a minibus (called a taxi) seems to involve switching seats at least five times. (And I don't even know where to begin with the boda bodas).
So here goes. A run down on each of the three primary ways of transporting oneself in Uganda.
Walking: certainly the safest option in terms of being in control of how quickly one travels (such control non existent in taxis and almost non-existent on boda bodas). Having said that the general walking pace is slowwww (especially when compared to London walking pace). People really are on African time here.
Walking slowly is also a bit of a necessity given the complete lack of footpaths, street lighting and drainage systems and the complete abundance of potholes. It is really easy to fall over here (and yes I have fallen flat on my face on one occasion). Other hazards I have encountered when walking are crossing the road and the local crazy guy who hits me in the face whenever he sees me.
Taxis: as I mentioned taxis are actually minivans which operate via a 'semi bus like' system. They travel all over the place. To catch one, you flag it down on the side of the road. Once you have (1) checked the taxi is going where you need to go and (2) negotiated the price, the only remaining action is to squeeze yourself in (sometimes easier said than done). The taxis all have a sign painted on saying that they are licensed to carry up to 14 passengers. In reality around 20 are crammed in. The record I have witnessed is 23 (refer to photo taken inside a taxi to give you an indication). Uncomfortable to say the least. Other goods carried include chickens, raw fish, sugar cane and mattresses. The suspension in the vehicles is completely gone (due to the fact the drivers seem to go the same speed on both tar-sealed roads and pot-hole riddled dirt roads). It is possible to hit your head on the roof when the pot holes are particularly violent.
To get off the taxi you pay your fare and ask the conductor to stop at the next stage. Once the passenger has got off, the driver will commence tooting as he drives until the next passenger on the road flags down the taxi. While there is inevitably a lot of changing seats and stopping and starting, taxis do the trick and they are pretty affordable (although many Ugandans would disagree with me). The hour trip from Mukono to Kampala usually costs 2000 shillings (equivalent to 50p).
Boda bodas: finally but certainly not least are boda bodas. Bodas are motorbikes which are found absolutely everywhere here in Uganda. While more expensive than taxis, they are much quicker as you can get the driver to take you exactly where you want to go. They are also much more efficient to take in Kampala as the bodas can wind in and out of traffic to avoid the notorious traffic jams.
Like taxis, people and goods are crammed onto bodas. If I were a boy I'd probably be able to tell you what size engines they have (but I can't) but they aren't large motorbikes and it isn't uncommon to see a driver with three passengers passing by. We often take them with two passengers when visiting smaller villages where taxis don't go which is quite squished enough for me. It is also tricky for a female to ride bodas whilst wearing a skirt (although women here almost never wear trousers). Tradition requires one to adopt a side saddle type approach...which I always find a little nerve racking. The other major downside of bodas is that you either get covered in dust, or if it's raining, wet. I have also discovered that sun glasses are a must just to keep the dust and bugs out of my eyes.
While transport here leaves a lot to be desired, as a traveller I shouldn't complain, it is cheap, I'm not tied to bus timetables and I can get pretty much anywhere in the country. The biggest impediment to getting around easily here is the sorry state of the roads...
So here goes. A run down on each of the three primary ways of transporting oneself in Uganda.
Walking: certainly the safest option in terms of being in control of how quickly one travels (such control non existent in taxis and almost non-existent on boda bodas). Having said that the general walking pace is slowwww (especially when compared to London walking pace). People really are on African time here.
Walking slowly is also a bit of a necessity given the complete lack of footpaths, street lighting and drainage systems and the complete abundance of potholes. It is really easy to fall over here (and yes I have fallen flat on my face on one occasion). Other hazards I have encountered when walking are crossing the road and the local crazy guy who hits me in the face whenever he sees me.
Taxis: as I mentioned taxis are actually minivans which operate via a 'semi bus like' system. They travel all over the place. To catch one, you flag it down on the side of the road. Once you have (1) checked the taxi is going where you need to go and (2) negotiated the price, the only remaining action is to squeeze yourself in (sometimes easier said than done). The taxis all have a sign painted on saying that they are licensed to carry up to 14 passengers. In reality around 20 are crammed in. The record I have witnessed is 23 (refer to photo taken inside a taxi to give you an indication). Uncomfortable to say the least. Other goods carried include chickens, raw fish, sugar cane and mattresses. The suspension in the vehicles is completely gone (due to the fact the drivers seem to go the same speed on both tar-sealed roads and pot-hole riddled dirt roads). It is possible to hit your head on the roof when the pot holes are particularly violent.
To get off the taxi you pay your fare and ask the conductor to stop at the next stage. Once the passenger has got off, the driver will commence tooting as he drives until the next passenger on the road flags down the taxi. While there is inevitably a lot of changing seats and stopping and starting, taxis do the trick and they are pretty affordable (although many Ugandans would disagree with me). The hour trip from Mukono to Kampala usually costs 2000 shillings (equivalent to 50p).
Boda bodas: finally but certainly not least are boda bodas. Bodas are motorbikes which are found absolutely everywhere here in Uganda. While more expensive than taxis, they are much quicker as you can get the driver to take you exactly where you want to go. They are also much more efficient to take in Kampala as the bodas can wind in and out of traffic to avoid the notorious traffic jams.
Like taxis, people and goods are crammed onto bodas. If I were a boy I'd probably be able to tell you what size engines they have (but I can't) but they aren't large motorbikes and it isn't uncommon to see a driver with three passengers passing by. We often take them with two passengers when visiting smaller villages where taxis don't go which is quite squished enough for me. It is also tricky for a female to ride bodas whilst wearing a skirt (although women here almost never wear trousers). Tradition requires one to adopt a side saddle type approach...which I always find a little nerve racking. The other major downside of bodas is that you either get covered in dust, or if it's raining, wet. I have also discovered that sun glasses are a must just to keep the dust and bugs out of my eyes.
While transport here leaves a lot to be desired, as a traveller I shouldn't complain, it is cheap, I'm not tied to bus timetables and I can get pretty much anywhere in the country. The biggest impediment to getting around easily here is the sorry state of the roads...
Friday, November 9, 2012
Island life
This week involved a trip to a small island out on Lake Victoria to go HIV testing. Wow, what an eye opener - I really feel like I saw how the other half live and Mukono feels like absolute civilisation in comparison.
The trip was organised by the director of a project that another 'The Real Uganda' volunteer is at. In all there were four volunteers and about six Ugandans who went on the trip.
Lake Victoria is huge and it really does feel like the sea. The furtherest islands still within Ugandan jurisdiction are a 12 hour boat ride away. Thankfully the island we stayed on was only 2 hours away.
The lake was pretty choppy on the trip out and the boats we traveled on weren't particularly sturdy (in fact permanent bailing seemed to be required). There were no life jackets and I spent a fair bit of time assessing which landmark I would swim towards if the boat sunk. Most Ugandans can't swim and are very fearful of the lake.
The communities on the islands vary in size, but all are small. There is no electricity, no cars (although of course there may be on some of the larger islands). The houses are what I would classify as shacks. Most people on the islands are fishermen. Not many women and children live out there, although the town we stayed had enough children to support a school. The children were all very excited to see us and they couldn't stop giggling when we showed them photos of themselves.
I think our girlish mzungu ways showed when we all shrieked at the spiders and bugs in our accommodation. In fact the four of us insisted sharing two to a bed rather than face a night alone in a spider infested shack.
The testing itself took place on a different island. We prepared a spiel on HIV for the crowd that gathered which was interpreted for us. It was delivered outside under the shade of a tree (no such thing as a hall/health clinic or school on this island). The testing was then done in one of the little shacks on the island by one of the group. Everyone who tested received post testing counseling by two trained HIV counselors. It was worrying to see how little people knew about HIV, questions from the crowd included people asking whether HIV could be spread by shaking hands.
Seeing the results themselves was also more difficult than I imagined. Of the 80 people who were tested, 9 showed positive results. While 80 tested, many present at our talk did not, fear of HIV is alive and well. I was particularly relived when a small girl and her mother both tested negative.
While there is access to retro-viral drugs here, they are only available in certain places. Given the location of island and particularly the cost involved getting to the health clinics I'd say that it is pretty unrealistic that all those people who did test positive will get the treatment they need.
The public health emphasis here is certainly on containing HIV rather than treating it and you can understand that stance taken by the government. Hopefully one day there will be an effective vaccine.
All in all it was a very insightful trip which once again left me extremely grateful for the life I lead.
The trip was organised by the director of a project that another 'The Real Uganda' volunteer is at. In all there were four volunteers and about six Ugandans who went on the trip.
Lake Victoria is huge and it really does feel like the sea. The furtherest islands still within Ugandan jurisdiction are a 12 hour boat ride away. Thankfully the island we stayed on was only 2 hours away.
The lake was pretty choppy on the trip out and the boats we traveled on weren't particularly sturdy (in fact permanent bailing seemed to be required). There were no life jackets and I spent a fair bit of time assessing which landmark I would swim towards if the boat sunk. Most Ugandans can't swim and are very fearful of the lake.
The communities on the islands vary in size, but all are small. There is no electricity, no cars (although of course there may be on some of the larger islands). The houses are what I would classify as shacks. Most people on the islands are fishermen. Not many women and children live out there, although the town we stayed had enough children to support a school. The children were all very excited to see us and they couldn't stop giggling when we showed them photos of themselves.
I think our girlish mzungu ways showed when we all shrieked at the spiders and bugs in our accommodation. In fact the four of us insisted sharing two to a bed rather than face a night alone in a spider infested shack.
The testing itself took place on a different island. We prepared a spiel on HIV for the crowd that gathered which was interpreted for us. It was delivered outside under the shade of a tree (no such thing as a hall/health clinic or school on this island). The testing was then done in one of the little shacks on the island by one of the group. Everyone who tested received post testing counseling by two trained HIV counselors. It was worrying to see how little people knew about HIV, questions from the crowd included people asking whether HIV could be spread by shaking hands.
Seeing the results themselves was also more difficult than I imagined. Of the 80 people who were tested, 9 showed positive results. While 80 tested, many present at our talk did not, fear of HIV is alive and well. I was particularly relived when a small girl and her mother both tested negative.
While there is access to retro-viral drugs here, they are only available in certain places. Given the location of island and particularly the cost involved getting to the health clinics I'd say that it is pretty unrealistic that all those people who did test positive will get the treatment they need.
The public health emphasis here is certainly on containing HIV rather than treating it and you can understand that stance taken by the government. Hopefully one day there will be an effective vaccine.
All in all it was a very insightful trip which once again left me extremely grateful for the life I lead.
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