Many of you have many heard a little bit about the protests and shootings in Kampala over the past week but don’t worry, Rachel and I are both safe! I have included some details of our experience through it and would like to make it clear that everything is now back to normal and quiet again.
Personal and Cultural Development
Monday was a pretty chilled day this week including a little shopping with friends, getting my nails done and a DVD night with a friend, but we knew that Tuesday was going to be a busy day so it suited us w
ell. We didn’t quite realise how eventful Tuesday was going to be though.
Going about our daily routine, we jumped on a boda and headed towards Wandegeya, past the university. Outside the main gates of the university, there were hundreds of people and numerous police riot vans. We were curious as to what was happening but disregarded it quite quickly. It wasn’t until we tried to get another boda home that we realised what was happening. Our boda had to take an alternative route home as the people at the university were holding a protest and had blocked the road. The boda driver informed us that there had been 3 Kenyan students shot on Monday evening, two dead, and the pupils were now boycotting class and protesting against what had happened. Curious to find out more details, we checked online when we got back to our hostel. We found the following website and were warned to stay away from the university until the whole thing had calmed down. Our lecturer told us that she would let us know when it was safe to return to campus. The hostel where the shooting took place is only 500m from our hostel. We didn’t see any more violence though and were told that it was fine to continue as usual as long as we stayed away from the university.
On Tuesday we were invited to the Irish Ambassador’s House for some St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The invite to this occasion was printed on gold rimmed paper and the dress code was described as ‘business attire’. We had no idea what this meant in Ugandan terms as they always seem to dress their best, even if it is just to the market. Thankfully we met the Ambassador at the party last Friday night so he was able to advise us to wear cocktail dresses. It was fun to get dressed up for the occasion and we made our way there with 4 other girls. We arrived just in time for the speeches and the Irish National Anthem (which I didn’t have a clue of). There were waiters circling the guests with finger foods including salmon on wheaten bread, cheeses and chicken skewers, and also a free bar all night. I made an effort to speak to some of the other guests and even managed to bump into a man from Belfast. It was so nice to hear an accent from home because everyone else seemed to have a southern Irish accent.
Wednesday involved more sorting of our student visas! They seem to be a lot more work than we first thought. We had to pay for them in US dollars so we returned to the immigration office to pay and they then sent us to Diamond Trust Bank in the city centre. This bank had so many doors that we were unsure of which way to enter. Four doors later, we found the correct queue and lined up to pay. It took a while but eventually we paid and the woman told us to come back the following day to get our receipt. Only in Africa would it take 24 hours to get a receipt.
There was more trouble in our neighbouring area on Wednesday, but this time the rioting was political. Those who support the politicians were arguing with those who back royalty. We stayed well clear of this area and decided that it might be a good idea to head out of town for a day or two. So on Thursday morning, we ventured to the bank to collect our receipt and then proceeded to the taxi park to catch a taxibus to Jinja. Rachel had previously been to Kingfisher Safari Resort here whilst I was in Ssese Islands and she thoroughly enjoyed it, so she recommended that we headed to stay there again. When we arrived, the resort looked beautiful and the sun was shining so we immediately got changed and headed for the pool. It was amazing to be able to chill in the quietness of Jinja as Kampala is always so noisy and busy. Another highlight of our stay in Jinja was the HOT SHOWER! I do not think that I have ever appreciated a shower so much. The length of time I spent in it probably indicated how much I was enjoying it.
On Friday morning, we received word from our lecturer that things had settled in Makerere and that it would be safe to return to class on Monday. We spent the rest of the day by the pool again and made the most of the weather; maybe a little too much though as my stomach was rather red. The boda driver came to pick us up earlier than he was meant to but maybe it was a good thing otherwise I might have been really burnt. I have phoned him and asked him to come at 4pm but they just agree with you even if they have not understood so he arrived at 3pm.
On Saturday night, I went for some karaoke with some friends. The Ugandans are mostly good singers but some of them were awful. Some of the songs were barely recognizable. I decided not to sing as I wasn’t feeling the best but I did enjoy Rachel (the Irish girl we met) and Nellybrown’s (Ugandan) version of Boyzone’s “Baby Can I Hold You Tonight”
Calvary Chapel was our first destination on Sunday, followed by the slums again in the afternoon. This week’s menu for dinner was beef and rice. The boys had arranged a friendly football match with one of the other slums for the afternoon so we headed to the playground with them as support. We had a warm-up kick about before the other team arrived and also ended up winning 4-1. They boys were so excited and definitely ready for their dinner when they returned. Our friendships with the boys are starting to develop more and more each week and they feel like they can talk to you and tell you things now. Some of the stories are fun but others would break your heart.
Professional Development
Monday morning’s class with Mark was all about the disadvantages of the child centred curriculum. He mentioned some ideas that I had never really considered before which were beneficial but most of the class was merely dictation again, even more so than usual. I’m not looking forward to getting the assignment title as Mark is sometimes a little difficult to understand so my notes may not be completely correct.
It was not safe to attend university on Wednesday or Thursday due to the protests so I am afraid that my professional development this week is not very much. I did get a chance to sort out some work experience within a school for next week though so that is pretty exciting. I am looking forward to getting into the Ugandan classroom.
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