A Village Walk

On my second day I choose to take a walk through the nearby Ugandan village.  My guide is Mohammed and Dave and Katie the Candian couple have joined me.  Walking through the village allows me to have some interaction with the locals and  learn a little more about the local culture.

Uganda is a lush tropical country and fruits and vegetables are grown in almost every garden.  Kids play in the street and peek out from behind the vegetation. 

The houses are nearly all of mud construction although occasionally we see a brick house.  The parents will build small houses for their sons who move out when they are married to live with their wife in the same compound.

Cooking is done by the women and the kitchen (as well as the bathroom) is separate from the main house as the cooking is done over an open fireplace.  The women are fascinated by my skin colour and keep asking questions as to where I am from.  It is hard for them to fathom there are dark skinned people outside Africa! 

Most of the kids are delighted to see us although occasionally a few would burst into tears! 

We also have the chance to visit a local clinic run by Soft Power.  A volunteer is working with a child who has cerebral palsy.   She keeps him entertained and he laughs happily – his only way of communicating and we are reminded of how hard life is when you have a disability. 

It has been a really interesting day and a chance for us to get close to life in an Ugandan village.  We end our day by sitting down to a traditional meal of peanut sauce and maize and green bananas.

It’s time to head back to camp and we thank Mohammed for sharing his life and his community with us before we say goodbye.

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.  ~Henry David Thoreau