First couple of days in Kampala, Uganda!
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Hello from Uganda!!
so i am here!! I don’t really know where to begin in trying to tell u all about my first few days. Everything has been pretty crazy since arriving so this could be a little all over the place so bear with me.
I arrived safely, and was meet at the airport to my relief!! One of the other canadian volunteers called Teressa was there with a clip board with my name on it! We went straight to Red Chilli, which is the name of the backpackers that i’m currently staying in. I dumped my stuff and got changed into flip flops and a tshirt! then we headed into Kampala (the capital). Was kinda crazy really! we got a taxi which isn’t really a taxi- more a mini bus which has no limit in the number of times it will stop or the people it will squeeze in!!! i think u get the idea! went to the bank to get some Ugandan Shillings and water and then headed to the nursery. Meet all the people that worked there and they are all really really lovely. I won’t go into a huge amount of details of the project now. I will save that for when I have more time and energy. But basically the nursery isn’t functioning as yet and is in the starting up stage. Which is exciting cos i feel that I can have a real input in doing that like decorating the play ground with hopscotch and things like that!!
Joe (the guy that runs everything) has had contact with an individual in England who has said he wants to sponser 100 children through infant and primary education which is amazing as a lot of the children in the local slums would never get the chance to be educated. So the nursery has kind of been put on hold whilst all the organising for that has been taking place. So yesterday I went and visited a potential school to see whether it was capable of taking 100 new children. that was really cool to see that and experience their way of doing things.
I feel I have been thrown in the deepend a lot. for example, getting to the nursery and back from where I am staying has been shown to me on my first day and today i had to try and do it on my own which was incredibly scary but i managed it. It’s not ideal cos it’s a long way out, but it’s the cheapest and most suitable. It takes around 1hour 1/2 door to door with several taxi/bus rides and lots of walking!! ho hum!!
Right now i’m everso tired and totally overwhelmed by everything so I’m going to leave it there.
thank you all for your goodbye cards and messages- it was so lovely to know u r all behind me on this crazy adventure!!!
If u want to text me I have sorted myself out with a ugangan sim card. maybe call my mum for it, or facebook or email me for it cos this is public blogging!!! 
it would be lovely to hear from you though!
take care lots of love Sal xxxx