AboutFrank Expertise My knowledge is mainly of the capital city, Kampala, and surrounding area. I will be glad to share about transportation, society, government, living conditions, education, media, etc.
Experience Experience in the area: I spent a month in Uganda, consulting at a major university and visiting government, media, and civic entities. My consultancies have taken me to many third world countries, equipping me for comparative observations about Uganda and other emerging societies. Many articles on economic development, media and society, emerging societies -- published in various countries, several languages. Credentials: Retired professor of international mass media.
Expert: Frank Date: 7/4/2007 Subject: volunteering in uganda
Question hello,
i am interested in volunteering in Uganda for about 7 weeks starting mid-august.
do you know the organization called pedrru? (www.pedrru.org)
How hot is it during August-September?
thank you for your help!
Answer July 4, 2007
Hello, Nur . . .
Perhaps I can offer some response to your questions, but within limits. It was eight years ago when I was in Uganda, and my experience there was deep but narrow. My stay in Uganda was only in Kampala, Entebbe, and Jinja, all in south Uganda, all on or near the north shore of Lake Victoria. I was on a program for the American Embassy, and so I leaned heavily on their advice. I was housed in a university apartment with another American scholar who had spent six years in the country as a research professor, so through the Embassy and my roommate, I got a pretty good picture of the situation.
Climate? You probably know that Kampala is smack dab on the equator. But in spite of that, its elevation and the cooling breezes off Lake Victoria make the temperature quite moderate. I was there in September-October, and while it was hot, it was no more so than in an American summer (although I should not assume that you write from America). Daily temperature when I was there was approximately a high of 85-95F (30-35C).
No, I was not aware of Pedrru, but after hearing from you, I visited the website. First, it is to your benefit that their volunteers are housed and fed in a compound, which must be assumed to be secure. I must take strong exception, however, to their assertion that Kampala is extremely safe (but they do acknowledge the unsanitary conditions). Unless it has changed dramatically in very recent years, safety in the city is grossly exaggerated. Kampala can be described only as a reasonably safe place, and that in comparison to the rest of the country and in some parts of the city. Some areas of Kampala are dominated by so-called street kids, who get by with muggings regularly because the authorities simply turn their heads, assuming anyone who goes to that part of town is taking his own chances. On the other hand, with local advice as to the safer parts of town, and careful discretion, a visitor can get by pretty well in Kampala. Outside the city, security goes downhill, even in other cities, and to rock bottom in the bush. Nowhere in Kampala is it safe to go out alone at night, for pick-pockets and muggers are likely to be anywhere. Do not carry passport (make photocopies of title page to carry). Carry only one credit card (MasterCard or Visa, not American Express or Discover), and keep it in a safe place, with photocopies of both sides stashed elsewhere. Do not carry much cash, and keep your cash in multiple places. If accosted, be willing to give up a cheap billfold with only limited funds in it, and consider it a cheap experience.
Along the Kenya border to the north and the Congo border to the west, local so-called lords rule with total lawlessness. Kidnappings and murder, also enslavement of children, are common. Embassy warnings are: stay far away. I did. But the more developed areas to the east of the capital, toward the Kenya border, are considerably more secure.
Travel within Kampala is mostly by vans that serve as bus-taxis, operating on a set route, and everyone just crams in. They are called matatus, and on major routes they are safe so long as you guard against pick-pockets. And they are cheap. Regular taxis are also quite reasonable, and generally safe.
Do avoid arriving at night. Stopover is likely in Nairobi, and it is not a good airport to be in at night, nor is Uganda’s airport at Entebbe. Entebbe is south of Kampala about 30-60 minutes depending on traffic, and it is not a road to be on in the dark, even with a trusted driver.
Sanitation in Uganda, even in better parts of the capital, is pretty bad, stinky storks everywhere eating the garbage along the streets. Your food, three delicious Congolese meals a day, is likely to be reasonably sanitary, but also likely to be quite a different diet than you might be accustomed to or prefer. Be prepared to expect unusual meats and vegetables, and be cautioned about the basics of maintaining your health in a third-world country. Following are the guidelines that have kept me from illness in many such places, and served well for me in Uganda:
1) Do not drink the water. That means no ice. For liquids, stick to dependably bottled water (best is Coca Cola bottler), beer, or major brand soft drinks. Get those in original containers, not a less-than-clean glass. Do not use straws that are already unwrapped; they are commonly recycled. Even with bottled water, make sure the cap-seal is unbroken and the bottom of a plastic bottle has not been plugged with wax (meaning it could have been refilled from a tap). Local beer is quite good and safe; Kenyan Amarulla (similar to Irish Cream) is excellent, also safe. Do not get coffee or tea in public, other than in an upscale restaurant or hotel dining room. (Your Pedrru compound likely qualifies equally.) In public places, coffee is normally served only lukewarm, and could have been made with tap water that was not heated enough to be safe. Coffee is almost always instant. Take a supply of coffee/tea if you like, and if you will have access to heating safe water for it.
2) No fruits or vegetables that were not peeled or cooked under conditions you have reason to trust. That means no lettuce at all, no lettuce or tomato on burgers, no green salads. Fruit juices can be good, if you get them where you have reason to believe they were prepared in sanitary conditions.
3) Wash hands often, especially before eating. If impossible, do not touch food, or with hand-held food, hold it at one place only, eat off the other side, leave the part you handled. Wash face with washrag, not under shower (for fear of ingesting contaminated water through mouth, nose, eyes, ears).
4) Carry lots of Pepto-Bismol tablets (they coat!) and chew a couple after (or even before) eating anything at all questionable, or at the first sign of a rolling tummy.
Well! More than you asked, perhaps more than you would want to know. Sorry if any of this seems discouraging, but I prefer to be realistic and honest. Still, I applaud your intentions to serve as a volunteer in a needy area. I was in similar circumstance, and it was for me a rewarding experience, if at times rather challenging. Be assured that you will return with much greater appreciation for the cultural differences in the world, and with more appreciation for the advantage of living in a more developed society.
