From Kentucky to Kampala: Immersion in African Community Development

It took nearly a year for the tan lines on my normally pale feet to wear off from the summer I spent studying abroad in Uganda. Having packed but three sets of shoes in my carry-on, Madame Caroline of City Council glanced disapprovingly down at my trainers remarking, “Too hot--you need Ugandan sandals like we wear”. I made my way with some friends to the local market for a beautifully embellished leather pair of sandals the likes of which would have cost me a pretty penny back home in Kentucky. Here in the heart of the capital city of Kampala, they were inexpensive and in great supply, much like the trendy patterned sling purses and paper bead necklaces made by local artisans and in social support programs ran by different NGOs. It was in these markets where I learned to haggle, a skill I never needed back in the States. But this was only the beginning of my education abroad.

From learning Luganda through a children's book to finding the best Rolex (fried egg, chapati and vegetables) stand for a mid-morning snack, I immersed myself in the experience. Uganda is so much more than a war-ravaged country, stricken with malaria and AIDS epidemics. It's a breathtakingly lush and fertile nation on the cusp of change at the hands of an eager young generation of people who still remember the stories their grandparents told them. I beaded necklaces with children and helped with sensitization sessions at a community center built out of a repurposed shipping container. I ate in unnamed little food stands after jostling across the steep hillside conducting home visits on AIDS patients. At night, I cheered on the overland travelers' favorite footballers, danced to reggae with locals and drank the sweetest wines brought up from South Africa. My last weekend there, I rode a bus for hours to get to Jinja, where I took a boda (motorbike) ride to hike the Nile. By the end of my trip, I'd grown to love my tanned toes that had walked so many miles through Madame Caroline's homeland.