This July, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Uganda and do some volunteer mission work at the orphanage, Jordan House, in Kampala. There were five of us spending a total of two weeks in Uganda of which 6 days was spent upgrading the toilet/shower blocks at the orphanage. It was such a pleasure to help them out and I was so humbled each time the ladies approached us to thank us for our work and give us each a big hug.
I think the most memorable thing for me was the warmth of the locals and how amazed they were that we would take the time to come visit and work – to better their lives. This is the first time that I had done a trip in this aspect and I have to say that I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again; there’s nothing like sitting down at the end of a day and looking over what you have accomplished – even more so when you see the smiles of appreciation from the children.
Our second week consisted of a trip up to Murchison Falls National Park, which is approximately 350kms northwest of Kampala and takes about 6 hours with stops. Travel within Uganda can be slow as the roads are bumpy and busy and Kampala has some of the most amazing pot holes in the world! We arrived mid-day and that same afternoon, we enjoyed a 3 hour river cruise on the Nile to the base of Murchison Falls. This was a wonderful way to relax after the trip up and we enjoyed not only the scenery along the river but HEAPS of hippos and elephants.
The following afternoon, we ventured out into the park to “hunt” down the animals (with cameras, of course) and managed to spot giraffes, buffalo, elephants, plenty of various types of antelope, lions, buzzards, and more…The leopard proved to be too elusive. On our return from Murchison Falls NP, we stopped at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a trek to find the rhinos – only our trek was about 5 minutes of walking from the van! My only suggestion (which doesn’t always fit into your schedule) is to arrange an early morning/evening safari as you’re more likely to see the animals active.
We also took a day trip to Jinja, which is only about 80kms from Kampala but can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours to travel – depending on traffic. We enjoyed an afternoon on quad bikes and lunch at a café overlooking the Nile River – great food and a very relaxing spot!
Some friends told me that you either hate Africa or love it: it’s just one of those places…The poverty is all around you: you see it as you drive through the streets and along the highway and you know by the meals they provide for you – not a lot of meat but plenty of potatoes and rice. It's also very busy with people, traffic, and vendors. However on the flip side, one of the most beautiful things about the people of Uganda (as in other parts of Africa) is their musical ability. Almost everyone has an amazing singing voice & able to harmonise; the African drums really do bring something special to the music. The other thing that really struck me was the smiles; absolutely beautiful sincere smiles.
For me, I feel that I’ve left a bit of myself back in Africa and that I’ll need to return to get it! Much of that was experiencing just how amazing these people are in places/times of adversity and how much I can learn from that but also just how scenic the country not just with animals and farms but also the food, the music and the colours.
If you have the opportunity to do some volunteer work, whether it is through your local church (as we did) or with an international tour company that I can recommend, seize it! I think it enables you to have a vastly different type of traveling experience – by getting involved with the locals and being surrounded with how they live.
I’m not sure when I’ll get back to Uganda but it’s definitely somewhere that I would love to explore further – along with other regions of Africa. But next time, I’ll bring my family!
Jacy