Update from Uganda

by Erin Byrne

I have officially been in Uganda for over 2 weeks now. Already I noticed a huge difference in my level of comfort since a week ago. My week in a nutshell consisted of a slow first week of work. It took a while for the people I am working with to warm up to me, but things have improved each day, and I am sure they are going to continue to do so. On Friday the other interns and I rented a hotel room for the night, went out to dinner, and had a good evening being just us. It was a much needed break for some people after 2 weeks in our host families. I, luckily, am having a great time with my amazing family.

Questions people have been asking that you might want to know about:

What exactly are you doing for work?
I am working for South Buganda Teacher’s SACCO Microfinace. (SACCO stands for Savings and Credit Co Operation.). This week was for observation. I was taught their paperwork process, shown the computerized system they are trying to move to, taught their accounting methods, and briefed by each person on what they did for
the organization. This first week was less than exciting, but in the 7 weeks I have left I am sure things will get better. I am responsible for identifying an issue relevant to the organization, thinking of a project to improve the issue, creating a proposal and budget for the project, implementing it, and ensuring it is sustainable. There are some pretty ridiculously inefficient and ineffective things about the organization, so there are many opportunities for me. I should have the opportunity to go visit clients in the field more next week, which is what I am interested in. I hope to make my project assist those that can’t get loans currently by helping start a group loan option in the organization.

What am I eating?
The food isn’t bad. Meals consist of what they call “food” and “sauce”. Food to them are basic starches like matooke, potatoes, yams, and rice. Then the “sauce” is the beans, nut sauce, or chicken broth you mix with the “food”. They taste fine, really, and things could be much worse if they served food that was crazy gross or didn’t settle with my stomach. But they don’t understand the concept of variety. It is not a matter of money- they really just don’t think a meal is acceptable unless it is served in this format. They could easily cook chicken with spices and steamed veggies, or mashed potatoes, or sliced bananas, or sandwiches, or pasta, but they have no desire to. They like to serve the same foods prepared the same way for both lunch and dinner, especially matooke. Matooke is a banana like food that comes in big bunches which they bake on coals wrapped in big leaves. The result is a pile of mush similar to mashed potatoes but with less
taste. Literally they make it twice a day. It isn’t easy or quick to prepare, it doesn’t stay good long, and it doesn’t have much flavor, but everyone here SWEARS by it. I don’t get it. Generally I have African tea (which is milk tea with tons of sugar= delicious) and bread for breakfast, a traditional meal as described above with my host family for dinner, and for lunch I usually buy a few oranges, a
chocolate bar and water because I am trying to diversify my solely carb intake. Other food related thing to complain about: eating times. Lunch is around 1 or 2 pm, tea is served around 730 or 8pm, and dinner around 930 or 10pm. On the weekends this is all even later. There is also no concept of snacks or leftovers that you can eat between meals (other than perhaps a slice of bread) and it is impolite to ask for food outside of meals. So my stash of peanut m&ms, nature valley bars, goldfish, raisins and peanut butter has been key to my survival. I
have been doing a pretty good job or rationing.  Craziest thing I have eat? Fried Grasshoppers. They are in season now and a delicacy. They aren’t my favorite, but if prepared right I can eat enough to be polite.

What do I do with my free time?
There is not that much free time like in the same sense in America. That is because it takes a long time to do anything here. Getting places takes about 20 to 40 minutes walking from my house. But the culture is generally very relaxed and I have rarely felt stressed.  I walk to town normally every day for work or to go to the internet café. At home, I usually watch NTV which shows ridiculous dubbed
Spanish soap operas, a few random American programs like old seasons of American Idol or America’s Next Top Model, hang out with my precious 2 year old sister, or spend time reading, journaling or watching Friends in my room.

I think thats enough information for now. Hope everyone is doing well in America (or Ireland or wherever you are that you are receiving these emails)!
Love Erin