Ugandan Environmentalism?

In Bugembe, roaming animals are a part of life and something you see every day. Herds of cattle, flocks(?) of chickens, and goats tethered to the roadside fill the landscape. People will often let their cows and chickens roam the neighborhood during the day, trusting them to return to their rightful home by nightfall. The first week I didn't quite understand this (silly Mzungu I am) and thought that Caesar owned chickens because there were several families of chickens meandering through our yards and trying (unsuccessfully) to enter the house. I eventually realized that their home was just down the road and they were only searching for a tasty snack. It really gives a new meaning to the term "free range".

Skills Plus also enjoys the company of numerous chickens that seem to enjoy the delicacies of its compound. The chickens are there practically each day but it is a special day when some of the local cattle pay a visit. They not only add to the scenery but they usually mow the lawn pretty effectively.

These seem pretty "environment friendly" but overall I don't think environmentalism has hit Uganda (does this really surprise anyone?). I think it's hard for people to be overly concerned about damaging the environment (it's difficult to see short term effects) when people are overwhelmed by the poverty and disease before your very eyes. Ugandans seem very comfortable with dumping trash anywhere (no hesitation tossing bottles outside of a taxi window or dumping trash at very beautiful waterfalls) and seem happy to burn the trash they do collect. I don't mind tossing banana peels or corn cobs into a field because they decompose relatively quickly. But plastic bottles? I do my best not to "integrate" too much into the local practices but sometimes things are outside my control.

This past weekend I went on a trip with the other FSD interns and staff to the east, to Sippi Falls, which is maybe 50 or 60 km from the Kenyan border. It was beautiful, relaxing, and I found my first salsa in Uganda!

The verdict? Honestly, it was good but a bit of a disappointment. Ugandans in general don't like spicy foods so it was very very mild (think ketchup). Fortunately, the guacamole was excellent (think Chipotle but better). On Saturday we decided to make "Ugandan burritos" which consisted of white rice, steamed vegetables, salsa, guacamole, and g-nut sauce all rolled into a chapati. It was pretty excellent, probably my favorite meal in Uganda.

Another fun fact about this weekend was that I had the most amazing shower. I'm serious. It probably made my top 5 list for the weekend. I know that back in the U.S. I take showers for granted, but it was my first "real" shower (there was running water, a shower head, and warm water!) since London (5 and half weeks ago). I had forgotten how glorious they are. And for a few hours at least, I was actually clean...

In other news, my work at Skills Plus is progressing but power continues to be a problem. We have been without power for a week (since last Monday, the 14th) and have had no power for 11 of the 21 days I have been at for work. It has become slightly absurd as most days (like today) the businesses across the street (perhaps 100 meters away) will have power while we still do not. The location of our building is partly to blame (it is on a different power line) but I think its clear Bugembe/Uganda needs a better electricity company. From everything I can tell, electricity used to be provided by the federal government but due to US/IMF pressures (among others) Uganda privatized the industry in the 1990s. However, they did not privatize it very well as after privatization only one large electricity company emerged with virtually no competition. They own a virtual monopoly on the Ugandan market and its services are pretty bad as a result.
It's probably a bit more complex than this simple portrait but it's all I've been able to piece together thus far.

Sorry if this post wasn't very funny. It's hard to top the green men story....