The Shackled Continent

I just finished reading 'The Shackled Continent - Africa's Past, Present and Future' by Robert Guest. 2004. An international best seller.

This was an enlightening, thought- provoking book and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Africa. The book gives brief histories of several African countries. It also gives explanations and possible solutions to Africa's state of affairs.

http://www.londonbookreview.com/lbr0008.html

HIV/AIDS in Uganda

Uganda is one of the rare countries in Africa to successfully deal with the HIV/AIDS pandemic as stated in the article below from WHO:

Uganda reverses the tide of HIV/AIDS

Uganda's success in reducing high HIV infection rates is the result of high-level political commitment to HIV prevention and care, involving a wide range of partners and all sectors of society. Same-day results for HIV tests and social marketing of condoms and self-treatment kits for sexually transmitted infections, backed up by sex education programmes, have helped reduce very high HIV infection rates.

Uganda, one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to experience the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS and to take action to control the epidemic, is one of the rare success stories in a region that has been ravaged by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. While the rate of new infections continues to increase in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda has succeeded in lowering its very high infection rates. Since 1993, HIV infection rates among pregnant women, a key indicator of the progress of the epidemic, have been more than halved in some areas and infection rates among men seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections have dropped by over a third.
Full article: http://www.who.int/inf-new/aids2.htm

And from USAID:

In Uganda, according to estimates by UNAIDS, HIV prevalence among adults peaked at around 15 percent in 1991, and fell to 5 percent as of 2001. While some quibble on the numbers, we know this dramatic decline is unique to Uganda, which is why it is important that we examine what led to the turnaround.
The Uganda success story is about prevention. When President Museveni came to power in January 1986, his country was already being decimated by AIDS. Under President Museveni’s leadership, leaders at every level of society responded to this crisis by sending a unified and forceful message. They urged people to prevent the spread of HIV. Their message was as simple as ABC: Abstain, Be faithful, and, if necessary, use a Condom. This message was disseminated widely through all sectors of society during the late 1980s.
Full speech: http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2003/ty030519.html

From a mzungu point of view.....

Mzungu: Kiswahili for white person - used in many African countries

the positives...

• Fresh, locally grown avocadoes for the equivalent of 3 pence/6 cents
• Huge sweet pineapples
• Friendly people
• Beautiful landscape
• Nearly perfect weather
• Unpolluted
• Very low crime in our area
• BBC World Service on the radio
• CNN several hours/day when the power is on
• Having the internet at home
• Several good European restaurants in town
• The reaction we get when we speak in the local language (Runyankole)
• Markets with fabulous fruit and veg
• Pleasant campus
• Fellow volunteers
• Kids everywhere are always so happy to see us
• Hardly anyone smokes
• No negative black/white history so no grudge or chip on shoulders – we are welcomed with open arms
• Exchange rate with our pound
  

the negatives ...

• Unreliable electricity
• Slow internet
• Shoddily-made goods (Chinese-made rejects from western countries)
• Not finding the items we need
• Mozzies all year!
• The need to sleep under an inconvenient mozzie net
• The battery on my computer lasting only 1.5 hours
• No haddock, but great chips
• No proper milk (just UHT/long life or unpasteurized whole milk)
• Not knowing how much we are being overcharged for some items (always charged more because ‘wealthy’ is tattoed across our mzungu faces!)
• Trying to find a hairdresser who knows how to cut my fine, straight hair
• Was told that ALL volunteers lose weight in the first few months of their placement – HA! Not me. Not with these free high carb/high calorie lunches
• Get homesick for Scotland and for family in the US
• Weather actually gets monotonous – no seasons
• The roads, the drivers, the transportation

...and just plain different/a curiosity

Everyone’s curtains are put up with the design showing on the outside and the lining on the inside

• Being the centre of attention in town
• Trying to figure out how to explain the internet, ipod, etc to people
• Having to boil water to drink
• Bargaining in shops
• Weird dreams because of our anti-malarial med
• Seamstresses using Singer pedal sewing machines to make clothing whilst sitting outside their shops
• Charcoal-fueled irons
• Using a panga (machete) for gardening instead of shovels
• People make their own bricks by hand to build their own houses
• Ugandans like their meat tough and chewy
• Ugandans eat matoke (cooked and smashed plantains) every day
• The curious use of English (their 2nd language) – phrases such as “how was the night”, “how is the day”, “you have been lost” (when someone hasn’t seen me for a few days).

Things I've observed about Ugandans....

they....

• love elaborate greetings—I never walk into a shop or anywhere without greeting. It’s considered very rude to just dive in and speak without greeting.
  
• love to give speeches. This can make assemblies, meetings, or church services extremely loooonnnngggg….
  
• are never in a hurry (except when driving)—if I walk quickly someone will comment on how fast I am walking.
  
• are ardent England football (soccer) fans—especially Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool.
  
• think plumpness or fatness is attractive although this is slowly changing.
  
• are extraordinarily amiable, very willing to help
  
• are smart dressers and are nearly always neatly dressed and pressed, even while working in a field digging
  
• women rarely wear trousers (except in Kampala). Apparently the shape of a bum is extremely erotic.
• are religious--mainly christian but still retain traditional beliefs such as animism.
  
• are unfamiliar or vaguely familiar with technology and are amazed by it—even our bottled gas cooker was a source of amazement.
  
• can be bent over working in fields and gardens for hours and hours at a time.
• start working at sunrise, stop after sunset
• have children as young as 6 carrying jugs of water on their heads
• seem happy despite having little material goods

Older posts, comments, holiday review

In the sidebar of the blog I've added links to some of my older posts--those which are informative regarding where we live, etc., or those that are my favourites thus far.

Comments or questions are welcomed and encouraged. You don't need to have a Blogger account to add a comment--it can be done anonymously. Simply click on the comments link at the bottom of each post.

My review of our accommodation over the christmas holiday has been published on Tripadvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g673829-d939618-r12374054-Crater_Bay_Cottages-Kabale.html

A couple of pics....



Hand washing laundry



Danny on his motorbike

Babies on Motorbikes!

Boda bodas are small motorbikes which serve as the cheapest form of public transport. Frequently they are loaded down with a passenger, often two, a rolled up mattress or other large item. A large bag or suitcase may be in front of the driver because the bike is too loaded down with passenger(s) or bags. Women always sit side-saddle and it’s not only because they are wearing dresses. I have seen them sit side-saddle when wearing trousers as well. Often you will see entire families on one boda—the driver, a man, a woman, and two small children. It makes me cringe to see children, especially toddlers and babies, on these dangerously-driven vehicles. It is extremely rare to see anyone wearing a helmet.

Why do parents put their children at risk? They have no choice. They can’t afford more expensive transport and certainly can’t afford their own car.

Waiting for power.....

......and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting.... JOY!! the lights came on..... despair.....they went off again. damn! only 30% power left on my computer battery....... sigh.... my ironing is piling up. no, I don't want a charcoal iron! it would be a disaster if we didn't have a bottled gas cooker!

The electrical lines in a huge area are being replaced. Since the beginning of November the power has been off during the day and has come back on in the evening at random times but generally by 7-7.30, sometimes later. In the beginning it was on all the time on weekends. It wasn't on yesterday. It came on last night several times, but didn't stay on. It has almost always been on all day Sunday. This morning it's been on for 5 minutes, then off again...... sigh..... why didn't I buy a 5 hour battery for my computer?!

Ah, well.....I can't complain about the weather....

Crisis in Kenya causes shortages in Uganda

The rioting in Kenya over a fraudulent election outcome has resulted in many deaths. It has also affected Uganda and other landlocked countries since petrol and other goods are imported
from or through Kenya.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801020014.html
http://tinyurl.com/398wer

Petrol in our area of Uganda has doubled and even tripled in some areas. Danny and I left our holiday accommodation this morning and noticed price changes at garages going from appoximately 2,600sh to 6,000 and 8,000sh. The roads were nearly devoid of traffic. No one can afford to pay that amount and the taxis, matatus (minibus taxis) and bodas (motorbike taxis) have tripled their fares. We saw few of them on the road.

We are safe where we are as all the rioting is in Kenya near the border with Eastern Uganda -- we are in the SW. If this continues the cost of transporting goods will dramatically increase and affect the price of all goods.

A couple of notes....
Anyone can sign up to get my blog updates via email. See the box in the sidebar and simply add your email address. Confirm it by replying to the email you will be sent.

I will be adding my accommodation review with the requested 'candid guest photos' to Tripadvisor during the next week or so. I will post the link to the blog.