UGANDA IS AN AMAZING PLACE

pig in a ditch

Hello my lovely people!

Here is a short overview of where I am in Uganda:

• I am in Kabale-town which is the largest town in the Kabale District, located in Southwestern Uganda, right above the Uganda-Rwanda border

• This region is known widely as the “Switzerland of Africa”, because of its steep rolling hills, its high elevation of 6600 feet above sea level, and also its reputation as the “Coldest Place in Uganda”, with temperature averages ranging from 64-77 degrees

• Theres even a local saying that “Kabale is so cold, that you cannot sleep alone”…comments and discussion will come later!

• Kabale is one of the most populated areas in Uganda (partly due to large amounts of migration because of its close proximity to both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda)

• The Bakiga people indigenous to the region are known as agriculturalists and subsistence farmers so there is a lot of terrace farming and crop plots on the steep hills

• They grow a lot of sweet potatoes, sorghum, beans, peas, and potatoes

NEVER have I ever been in a country like Uganda, where the beauty of the landscape is mirrored and matched so well in the beauty of it’s people. In the short 5-10 minute walk from the KIHEFO Apartment complex (where other interns and I eat and sleep), we are greeted on the street by smiling strangers, “Agandi!” or “Hello! How are you?”, at least 3 times. The best part is that they mean it too. The people of Kabale are the jolliest, happiest, and most welcoming people I have ever met. This completely contradicts the image of a deprived and helpless Sub-Saharan African that we are spoon-fed by the media (and even in schools). I have yet to meet a serene Ugandan.

Hope everyone is enjoying their New Year!

XOXOXOXOXO

-C