This is the blog for Rhona and Bobby Hogg's VSO experience in Uganda. In August 2008 we applied to do VSO and, following an assessment day in London last October, we were accepted as volunteers . Because of the strong Scottish links, we had set our sights originally on Malawi where we spent a week in June 2008 but joint placements are difficult to find and in February we agreed with VSO to open up the search. At the end of March we were delighted to be offered placements in Kampala, Uganda. We are to work for a HIV and AIDS initiative called Reach Out Mbuya (http://www.reachoutmbuya.org/) where, we hope, Rhona's community nursing experience and Bobby's IT experience will prove useful.

We are due in Kampala on 18th September and have committed to spend a year there. We are very excited about the prospect of living in a very different part of the world and working with Ugandans who, from many reports, are fun to be with. We expect there to be many challenges but our stay in Uganda should be immensely enjoyable.

We are indebted to VSO for giving us this opportunity. Our preparation, including 2 training courses in Birmingham, has been excellent and we are confident about the in-country support that we will get from VSO in Uganda. I understand that it costs VSO around £15,000 to support each volunteer. If you would like to make a donation to support our placements in Uganda please visit the Just Giving site through the link opposite.

Thursday 3 June 2010

First impressions all over again...

David:

It's 7.30pm.  An excited Glaswegian shriek is heard in the mids of the arrivals area of Entebbe airport.  The locals don't quite know what to do... but I know that my mum has made it down from Kampala to see me off the plane.  It's been a long nine hour flight, made longer by my excitement to get here, but a familiar feeling of enthusiastic trepidation returns from my arrivals in the past to Nepal and Cambodia.  Our driver, James, expertly picks his way through the congested road away from Entebbe.  It's now 8pm, and whilst Scottish rush hour traffic knows it's time to chill out by now, there is a sense that the night is very much yet young!  He's under strict instructions to take the road slowly (and safely), however this isn't a view shared by other drivers.

So my first few hours of Uganda are flavoured with car fumes, a hot and humid climate, and a realisation that Uganda doesn't seem to sleep.  Whilst James picks his way through the congestion, I am amazed to see so many people out and about.  The atmosphere against the background of crickets exudes friendliness and welcome. 

Today was my first experience of Kampala in daylight, and even though it's a public holiday, there is still an air of business amongst the stallholders of the market.  Bright yellow, green and red make up the pallet of unimaginable quantities of bananas, oranges (yes, oranges are green here) and tomatoes.  Mum and dad are showing me the sights (and the driving, this time under Dad's command) of crazy but friendly Kampala.  


We stop off at the VSO office, a tranquil retreat for all volunteers... and then head on into the centre.  We do the taxi park - think Buchanan Street Bus Station but a million times bigger and busier - which, like the rest of Kampala has potholes even to envy Glasgow.  Organised chaos describes it well, but with the 14-seater taxi buses only leaving when full, there is a heavy suggestion of efficiency. 



We pop into the Garden Centre for lunch, and immediately at least 8 waiters from different restaurants swoop on us with their menus.  This is the expected reception at the food hall, where 3 lunchers could choose from 3 (or more) completely different restaurants - including Italian, Chinese and Lebanese.  I haven't seen this before, but it's a nice idea!

Hoggs like hills and so later in the afternoon we go for a wander up the back of mum and dad's house.  A winding path takes us past village houses, with smiles and shouts of "hello" from every direction.  A genuine inquisitiveness - moreso for my camera - is evident, and here's some of the children who insisted on taking their turn for a photo!




We end the day with some shopping, drinks on the veranda with my parents' neighbours, and a fantastic meal at Katch the Sun (sic) - a new one for the "recommended" list.  In 24 hours I have developed some fast first impressions of Kampala.  I am reminded once again how sound and smell are the missing links to the sights that photographs can only frame.  I like it.  I like it a lot.  And I still have 11 days to go!

Weraba (goodbye) from Uganda.
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