The day I flew to Uganda was not a happy one. In fact, it was pretty miserable.
As I started my journey to the airport, Nepal was being effected with the worst earthquakes and aftershocks in decades. M was struggling to get hold of his family and I was stricken with panic and guilt from not being in Nepal to help. We spent the hours before my flight looking for flights to take me to Kathmandu, Nepal instead of Kampala, Uganda. I had a bag and one small case which were filled with some clothes, a sleeping bag and a few toiletries. There were no luxury items but I had enough to take me anywhere in the world.
M and I agreed it would be more sensible to continue with my flight to Uganda and the work I would be doing there. I went to the airport with a heavy heart and a guilt I couldn’t shake for weeks. I spent my first weeks in Uganda with nothing on my mind but Nepal.
Flying into Entebbe airport, Uganda!
I had no access to news, internet or a SIM card and spent my first days in a manic frenzy trying to get a SIM card in Uganda (which hadn’t registered properly when I finally got one – add on a few more days of misery)! Finally, armed with a Ugandan SIM card, I got through to M’s sister in Nepal and found out there had been more bad aftershocks – luckily, the family were fine, but, they were extremely tired and staying on the street for safety.
With thoughts of Nepal, I couldn’t help but being plagued by a comparison of Uganda to Nepal at every moment. I had never had a specific interest in touring Africa before and, looking back, I was not particularly open to the opportunity in the first few weeks I was there.
Source of the Nile, Jinja, Uganda
Phewa Tal, Pokhara, Nepal
During this time, I was staying in Mukono, Uganda and undergoing two weeks intensive training with the charity. We learnt so many interesting and fantastic things about sexual and reproductive health, sustainable organic farming and even how to facilitate interesting lessons cross-culturally! We also spent so much time getting to know the other volunteers we were with and it was such an amazing two weeks of fun! Yet, it still couldn’t take my mind of M, his family and Nepal.
Even still, I can’t regret my first few weeks in Uganda. I was trying to be as open as possible, yet I had left my heart with M in London and my mind with the situation in Nepal. Everything happens for a reason though and my initial weeks paved the foundations of my journey for the next three months I was there…
