Blogging during the months of July - Nov 2011 was not much of a success. I had technical problems accessing the blog from Uganda, as well I lost some of the motivation simply because in my daily life I was a lot less plugged in to the internet (or electricity of any kind) than I am when in Canada.
That said I still like the title for this blog as Thomas in Uganda since I will continue going to Uganda regularly ( I was there for 3 weeks fin Feb 2012 and will be back in 2013 to do research for my Masters). In the coming years I hope to spend more and more time in Uganda, for personal and professional reasons.
All that said, I'd like to share my own view of Uganda a little, especially in light of the fact that there is now such a buzz on the web about UG as a result of the Invisible Children media campaign 'Kony 2012'. If you want to learn more there are tons of resources online and in print, so get informed and the best option of all: VISIT UGANDA. I guarantee you will love it.
First Uganda despite being a small country is very diverse. Geographically, economically and in terms of ethnicity the north is different from the west, central, south or east.This is in part a direct result of the insurgency by the LRA and other rebel groups, which has left the north less developed and has reinforced ethnic divides and mistrust. Since the end of hostilities and violence (2008 onwards) hundreds of abducted soldiers have returned from the bush and thousands have moved out of IDP camps in the northern districts. The reconciliation and re-integration of the community has been peaceful and successful largely due to the efforts of the Acholi religious leaders and elders. As an outsider I am always struck by the strength and ability to forgive of people I meet in Gulu, as the war affected so many and so many atrocities were committed by both sides fighting.
Today Gulu is a fast growing city, and the main access point to Southern Sudan. This means there is a lot of business and money flowing through the area. Also while many NGOs are re-locating out of Gulu as the emergency situation which saw night commuters, and incredibly high mortality rates in the camps, other business domestic and foreign.
In Western dollar terms the majority of the residents in Gulu live in poverty as they earn only $1-2 dollars / day on average, live without electricity or running water in their homes, and have limited access to quality, affordable medical care. But the people there are very happy, and I would argue live a much healthier lifestyle in many ways than we do in Canada. Almost everyone has a garden where they or their family are able to grow a large amount of the food they eat. When they eat meat most often it is a chicken they raise or buy live and slaughter. People eat an organic diet that makes a hundred mile or other western mindset look a joke. And they know where their food comes from, always eat it fresh, and because of African hospitality and sense of community there are very few with nothing to eat.
My own plans are to live the majority of the next 5 to 10 years in Uganda. I look forward to farming there, and also working with different individuals and groups to find innovative and integrated solutions to some of the many challenges that face the region. School fees, maternal health, malaria and other treatable illnesses still kill children, are all major problems. But people live in a dignified manner which seems so much more logical and natural than my own lifestyle in Canada. The solutions to the most pressing problems are within the community, and so many people are moving towards developing and implementing them. I look forward to learning so much in the years to come living in Uganda, and I hope that I can also share some of my own knowledge to help people all around the globe improve our interconnected communities.
Send me your comments or questions, and watch for more posts forth coming. But don't only listen to some muzungu activist/academic. Below are a few links for Ugandan media outlets, and I'm sure Google can help you find a million more. The more informed we can get and the more critical discussion we can generate, the closer we get to a deeper understanding of Uganda.
Daily Monitor
New Vision Group
Uganda Pulse
The East African
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