During my two weeks in Uganda I obviously fell in love with the people and how genuinely happy they are. It was amazing to see how so many people who are living in sub-standard houses and areas, be so content despite not having running water, constant electricity, or lots of food. Our volunteer coordinator told us something her processor said to a child.
One of her Ugandan students asked her one day, "What is the difference between United States and Uganda?"
The volunteer coordinator simply replied, "We have so much stuff, but you're happier."
This conversation really stuck with me through our remaining time in rural Africa. I started to really notice how happy and 'ok' all the Ugandan people were. They had their struggles; having to manage crops, lack of money for school, no shoes, and sickness. Despite the struggles, every where you looked people were smiling. It didn't matter that your clothing was dirty or ripped, what mattered was just life itself.
At the Bulobi Primary School their outlook on life was especially prominent. Students would walk hours to school. Sit in class for even longer. Not each lunch and then walk another hour or two home, in mud, without shoes. Through all of that, the kids were smiling. Despite all the factors against them, these kids were still showing up to Bulobi eager to get a days worth of an education. Even a student in America, with shoes, nice clothes, and a lunch doesn't smile as much as they do at the end of a school day. Not only were the Ugandan people so happy in general, but they were even more excited to host us in their town.
As a group of 14, we were the largest group of American college students ever to travel the area. Most of the villagers probably hadn't seen a larger group of white people trudging through their town day after day. The first few days, we were a sight to see. While people would stop and watch us walk by the whole two weeks we were there, so many of the villagers were surprised to see us. Their faces showed deep thoughts of curiosity. The children reacted in a more extreme way. When driving into the village, children would scream and wave at our van full of "mzungus" (white people) driving by.
At school we would be surrounded by the younger students during their break time. During class, some younger students would even skip class to watch us through the windows. We were a sight to see. They loved our presence.
When we'd walk down the roads of Bumwalakani, we'd wave and say "mlembe" to everyone we saw. Old women and men would respond with "bulayi" and giggled as we walked by. They weren't making fun of us; instead they were giggling and appreciating our attempt to speak their language. They liked that we tried and were so friendly to them.
A few times walking back from the school with a bunch of students, some old lady would stop us, hug us, and tell us how much she and everyone appreciated our work. They were so happy we were in the area to help with the students, especially the children at Bulobi Primary school.
Despite being across the world, and in a developing country, I never one felt out of place or not at home. That's how friendly the people were. So many people made feel nervous for my safety when I left the United States, but that feeling completely disappeared the first day. I could have stayed for a much longer time that is how comfortable I felt there. I can't wait to go back and get to know the people and the culture even more.
