Culturally Shocking

I have been in Uganda for over a month now and I haven't written in a while so I think it's worth noting some things which have shocked me over the last month or so about Ugandan culture.

Boda Bodas and their drivers:

If you follow me on facebook, you may have noticed that I often complain about Boda Bodas. What is a boda boda? it's basically a cheap motorcycle with a foam pad behind the driver's seat for up to two adult passengers, or as many as five child passengers. Why any parent would send their children to school alone on a boda boda is beyond me, but it seems to be normal in my neighbourhood.

For the firs week I was in Kampala I outright refused to take boda bodas anywhere, opting instead for mini-buses (called Matatus or taxis) or a special hire (canadian taxi). The reason for my fear of Boda Bodas arose both from the reports that Boda drivers are often reckless and that many people are injured or killed in accidents every day and because Boda Boda drivers occassionally rob their riders particularly at night.

However, taking special hires eventually got too expensive so I started taking Boda Bodas. Initially I pretty much though I was going to die every time I took a Boda and insisted the drivers go very slowly. I then got my helmet, and continued to insist on going slowly. Unfortunately on one Sunday afternoon I got a Boda driver who I can only assume was drunk, who wasn't avoiding any of the bumps in the road and eventually hit a patch which caused the engine to stall and the bike to fall to one side and then the other. I was okay, but shaken and didn't continue with that driver.

Then about a week and a half later my friend caught a Boda from outside of a bank in the evening and he was robbed at knife point and lost everything he was carrying, including his jacket.

Yet, it's hard to get around without them. I've started to only take Bodas from stages where they pay to park which is somewhat of a guarantee that they aren't drunk, have good driving skills and won't rob you; yet because I'm a muzungu (white) the boda drivers at the stage are more likely to try to rip me off. So you can't really win. So transport is definitely a major frustration.

Road Conditions:

Coming to Uganda I was expecting a combination of paved and dirt roads, which is infact what they have here but many of the roads, paved or otherwise, are full of large potholes. These aren't your average Canadian pot holes either, many of them are about 50 cm deep. This of course doesn't help my fear of bodas. Oh well at least I haven't fallen in one yet.

If the pot holes aren't enough to deter you from walking, traffic might be. There are very few traffic lights which means if you have to cross the street you are probably jay walking on busy streets and cars generally won't stop, it's like being stuck in a perpetual game of frogger.

Child Exploitation

One thing that I'm really having trouble with in Kampala is the child beggars who line the streets close to where I work and are there both day and night. The smallest children sit silently and without moving without their hands out in their laps. I find this particularly disturbing since the early years are so important to a child's development. The slightly older kids are often more mobile, following adults on the street, sometimes grasping their arms saying "please, please". What's even sadder than the fact that there are children begging on the street is that most if not all are being exploited either by their parents or by a trafficker who has purchased them for the purpose of begging.

I often find myself wondering what the future could possibly hold for these poor children.

Visa issues:

you've already read about them. A couple of people have suggested that the officials were maybe looking for bribes but I always kind of assumed that someone would ask if they really wanted one.

Homophobia:

It's widely known that a member of Ugandan Parliament has brought forward legislation on more than one occasion to make homo sexuality punishable by death, which should shed some light on my next story. On my Birthday I attended a meeting at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Some of the attendees had come from a legal organization and were specializing on the rights of sexual-minorities. I was discussing their work with one of the young women in attendance when she abruptly stopped and asked if we could discuss it more later. Later she explained that there were members of the media in the room and that she was concerned about what they might do with the information she was sharing. It seems the problem extends beyond homophobia.

Arts culture:

Arriving in Uganda I wasn't expecting there to be too much of an arts culture but I have been pleasantly surprised. It seems that basically every night there is an opportunity to attend a dance lesson or concert, many of which take place at the national theater. Great places to make new friends.


Anyway, that's it for now. Up next read my reports on Halloween and Eid.