Volunteer life in Kampala
My new house has a garden! Really excited about this tho whether it’s what we’d call a garden or concrete yard or bare earth or dog’s toilet or what I have no idea but will take my gardening gloves and a few packets of seeds just in case. Fingers crossed I can do something with it!
Robert (currently working with UCF in Kampala) has sent me my new address, between the railway line and the sewerage treatment works! So far it sounds like London’s Kings Cross. Wonder what chances are of still having view of Lake Victoria?!
I will be living in NAMUWONGO (I love the name!)
Google Earth shows Namuwongo bottom of photo; light reflects off the tin roofs of the slum area at the top of the photo.
Apparently I’ll be the only mzungu or muzungu on the street.
The house has three rooms, one of which may be the office. There are two bathrooms (with bath!) and a lounge. There are two garages, one of which may also be the office … This is absolute luxury by VSO standards and I am gobsmacked at what I am getting as I could very easily been sharing very very basic accommodation. The extra room(s) are for Trustees to stay on visits from the UK but that will be on quite rare occasions so plenty of room for friends and family to stay! I can’t believe my luck.
Namuwongo house cum office Kampala compound
Robert and Janice are currently VSO volunteers with UCF and St. John the Baptist Ggaba Primary Teacher College.
VSO volunteer teachers Robert and Janice, Ggaba PTC. DK is seated behind Janice
They are kindly leaving behind a number of items for me, including:
- A TV on which you can get four or five local East African stations, which are mostly in English. I was offered their satellite TV dish but this would’ve cost over 1/4 of monthly allowance of 400,000 UgX (Ugandan shillings). There are approx 2850 shillings to the pound!
- A battery operated radio …(main connection blew up during a power cut).
- There is a fridge (but it goes off when the power goes). Apparently there are very few power cuts here cos its in a government area – let’s see!
- Camping equipment (no Ma I’m not going camping on my own!)
I have quickly read the accommodation details and can see that you may have chosen this posting to especially appeal to your fathers accommodation ideal. You say there are three rooms and two are garages, and I suspect this is the ultimate ratio of home accom. he seeks in his daily life. Bless!
Having reread this part I don’t like the sewage works so close and a high wind in the wrong quarter could be quite smelly (as we all know). I wonder if one of those wind up battery and power free radios would work well?? Don’t know much about them but Kate will have some input on that, wont you sis?
Welcome to namuwongo. I think am a neighbour. Where exactly are you.
Hi Martin. I’m afraid I’ve moved upcountry now but I lived very happily in Namuwongo and then Bukasa for three or four years. How do you like it?