Random Facts about Kampala

I thought that you might be interested in knowing a little more about what we see and encounter on a daily basis. I hope these random thoughts help you visualize where we live.

1. Matatus = Budget mini bus taxis that take you anywhere you need to go. One ride may cost 500 Ugandan shillings ($.025) or 1200 USh ($0.60). The matatus pack us in, though only 14 legally and semi-comfortably fit.

2. Money = Ugandan Shillings. 2000Ush is about one U.S. Dollar. A meal costs about 2000Ush. Food and services are very cheap here.

3. Mzungu = Mzungu means white person. "Hello Mzungu, how are you????!!!!!" or "Mzungu, Mzungu...Bye!!!" Children scream at the top of their lungs EVERY time they see us. No matter how discreet we are trying to be or how hard we are trying to blend in (almost impossible to do) the children always find us. And they have such big smiles and sweet hearts that you can't help but wave back and reply, "I am fine, How are you?" and so they reply and ask you again until you have passed.

4. African Internet = Slow, slow, slow. Practice patience because you will need it. As they say, a watched pot never boils. Same rules apply here...you can stare and click and hope and click some more, but you cannot speed up the service, so just slow down my friend. And if it begins to rain, just save your work before the power fails and come back later.

5. Food = Unfortunately, the truth is that people in my community do not have enough money to eat but 1 meal (usually dinner)...possibly 2 meals if they are lucky...a day. But typical food consists of boiled or fried bananas, mashed bananas, cassava, or sweet potatoes served with greens, rice and beans, or rice with beef/pork/or chicken (if you have money. Eggs too, but only if you have money as they are $0.20 an egg. We eat bananas and peanut butter for breakfast, and for lunch and dinner: typical food or spaghetti with vegetables - eggplant, green peppers, onion or rice and beans or omlettes.

6. The air = Dusty, smokey, and clouds of diesel. We do live in the capital city, so obviously air quality is worse/more severe here than in smaller villages and other parts of Uganda. (We hope!)

7. Toilets = We are lucky because we have the only flushing toilet in the area. However, ALL other toilets are holes in cement. You must squat, and when I say squat, I mean all the way down.

8. Body Odor = Well, you know what this is, but you have no idea how intense until you come to Africa. There is is constant cloud of b.o. that blankets the people here, including us every so often...especially Jimbo :)

9. The Language = The local language is Luganda, but people in our community (refugees) speak Swahili and/or French. Lucky for us, almost everyone speaks some English.

10. The People = I love the people here. Everyone is so friendly and helpful and curious to know what we are doing here in Kampala. I cannot say enough about the people in my community though. These refugees are TRUE SURVIVORS and they give me so much inspiration and hope!