Hi everyone! I am here in Uganda for the next 5 weeks interning and volunteering with HELP International. I found out about this program through a family friend who was a business professor and started this company with some students. I am a Public health student at my University and am here to teach a variety of health education classes, do a lot of medical outreaching, as well as work on a variety of humanitarian projects that have been started. It’s really nice because the company I am interning with has volunteers here all year long, so projects are rarely ever abandoned. We work with other local NGO’s, hospitals, businesses, and schools to implement programs. I am staying in the capital, Kampala, for the weekend and then heading up to Mbale to get to work. I will be blogging about projects and my experiences here in Uganda as part of meeting my internship credit hours.
It was a looong few days of traveling, but I made a lot of friends and still managed to enjoy myself. I flew from Las Vegas to Minneapolis to Amsterdam, to Entebbe Uganda! I had short layovers but it was still a total of 28 hrs. of traveling. I had never been to Minneapolis so that was fun. I wish I had a cool Minnesota accent like the two ladies sitting next to me. I have actually been to Amsterdam. I was about 16 and yes, the rumors are true: It smells like a Las Vegas high school bathroom. Weed, not poop just to clarify… I got to sit and talk with a lot of cool people from around the world, with lives both different and similar to mine. Talking to all sorts of people is my favorite part of traveling. I got to the Entebbe airport late last night. Upon my arrival I got my Visa and went outside to wait for Matt, my country coordinator to pick me up. It was pretty scary because I was the only girl, I was waiting outside late at night, I didn’t have wifi, and Matt wasn’t picking up his phone. I also stick out like a sore thumb in Africa due to my hair and skin color (imagine that..), and I’m sure I looked lost and worried. Hahah all bad. Eventually, Matt came to rescue me and we rode the 45 minute drive to Kampala with Steven, the taxi driver. I had my first experience staying overnight in a hostel and also my first experience sleeping under a mosquito net. I always wanted one of those canopy beds when I was a little girl, and sleeping under a mosquito net is about the equivalent. Dreams are already coming true here in Uganda.
I just had my first full day here in Kampala, and it was really the best day ever! I woke up to a beautiful sunrise, roosters and birds, African chanting, and ate some delicious fruit. I took the first of many cold, sketchy showers but I could care less because I get to shower in freaking Africa!!! I spent the day with Rachel and we explored Kampala. Uganda is exactly what I pictured it to be. Banana trees everywhere, old colorful buildings, loud music blaring, clothes hanging from lines, people carrying fruit baskets on their heads, kids walking around barefoot and extremely busy roads! Everyone drives around on motorcycles (boda-bodas) so that is how we get from place to place. It’s CRAZY because there are no traffic rules, but at the same time it is so much fun! I have to wear skirts and dresses while I’m here, so riding a motorcycle in a skirt gets interesting..
First we went to the Sanya Babies House. This is the oldest and longest running orphanage in Uganda. It has been around 86 years now and it is a program where they rescue abandoned babies that have been found on the streets or in garbage cans. They house up to 50 babies at a time, and give them a place to sleep, eat, and play. They run completely off volunteer work, so they are always in need of helpers. I wish I could have taken pictures because they were the CUTEST Ugandan babies I have ever seen!!! I felt like I was in heaven. We spent the morning playing outside, feeding them lunch or bottle feeding them, changing their diapers, and putting them in their cribs for their naps. Precious. Precious. Precious. The caretakers do a really good job and it really is a wonderful organization.
We spent the rest of the day walking around, going to shops and eating good food! It has been a great first day, and I am so excited to learn and experience more!