A Snapshot of Life in Uganda

by Marjorie Broce
Life in Africa: Things become so normal after living here that I forget to tell you things that might be interesting. Here are a few off the top of my head:

1. My neighbors just squeezed maggots out of their puppies' sides.
2. Driving at night is a bit scary. There are no street lights but there are always people walking on the streets. The car lights are blinding. We DO NOT like driving at night and only do it when we absolutely have to.
3. The churches have adopted our Thanksgiving celebration and usually celebrate sometime around the beginning of Dec. I'm invited to one that starts at 7 am and goes til 4 pm!
4. The boda drivers (motorcycle taxis) all have a particular stage that they operate from and they now have to be registered with the city.
5. The dogs around here are just street dogs and they don't get fed by anyone. Most are weak, are losing their hair, and have no energy to bark.
6. There are many shops that look like a shambled shack on the sides of the road where

people sell their fruits and veggies. The guy who makes Chipati (like a fried tortilla but thicker) does it under a big beach umbrella.
7. The children in the city are much more used to seeing a white person but still enjoy a little attention from us, whereas in the village, a white person can feel like a celebrity.
8. School fees are on the tip of everyone's tongue. Most parents would rather go hungry than to not be able to pay school fees for their children. I would guess that most of their meager pay goes towards school fees and the rest they used to barely survive.
9. Rent is not paid month by month. It's paid 3 months at a time. For the "houses" that are just $40 a month, they might have to pay 3 months in advance but then they allow them to go month to month. That kind of house is what many Ugandans live in. It's one room. Not a big room. And a whole family lives in that one room, plus maybe more. No running water. No toilet. Hopefully the neighborhood has a good latrine (squatty potty) nearby that everyone shares.

by Marjorie Broce