The Pearl of Africa
You are probably wondering why my focus on palm oil has fazed out. Or, more bluntly, why I haven't posted in 3 weeks (sorry, folks).
Well, for once, I have a good reason.
The last couple of weeks have been ones of discovery, novelty and fascination. Through exploring the emerging hubbubs of human civilisations and becoming part of the tranquil landscapes which teemed with nature, I explored a glorious place; Uganda.
Forgive the diversion, with the permission of several communities, I feel a heavy urge to share my experience with you. Perhaps, together, we could find some answers to the questions I still ponder over? Also, at the request of several communities, I wish to share the unheard stories of people living in this wondrous land.
I present to you the Pearl of Africa.
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| To Mityana Source: Own |
Innovative - Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world. In 2012, over a third of the population lived on less than $1.25 a day. The stats also show us that Uganda is an agricultural country with most of the working population having to undertake laborious tasks such as picking tea leaves. Lying in the hands of both the climate and, what I like to call, the 'spider's web' of outsourcing TNCs like Unilever and Nestle, a worker's pay tends to fluctuate from season to season. Often, efforts do not reap adequate returns. Furthermore, it is likely that climate change will exacerbate these difficulties.
If such a lack of control was to be found in the UK, I fear that much of the population would simply complain or give in to the system. Yet, in Uganda, this is not so! Throughout the cities, the slums and the rural communities, an entrepreneurial spirit thrives. Weaving banana leaves into bowls, making bracelets from newspaper and selling chapatis on the roadside produces supplementary incomes for many individuals. Unfortunately, when outsiders like us use only official documentations to analyse a country's development, these informal secondary and tertiary sectors are concealed. Thus, the outside world is unaware of the hidden ingenuity of the Ugandan people. As I accompanied one charity (which assisted people in creating a business by which individuals would pay money to charge their mobile phone via a solar panel), I got the feeling that with each solar panel installed, a quaternary sector became ever closer to emerging.
These people are not stuck in their ways. Take the story of Phiona Mutesi, for example. Phiona was born in Katwe, one of the largest slums in Uganda and was given the title World Candidate Master by the World Chess Federation in 2012 at the age of 16, just 7 years after dropping out of school with no qualifications. Given the opportunity to return to education through a scholarship, she now attends Northwest University in Washington, USA. If this story sounds familiar to you, perhaps you have watched the film Queen of Katwe, a film which depicts Phiona's life. I am in no doubt that luck was on her side. It could have been easy for her to slip through the system amongst the numerous other talents which have passed us by. Particularly so if she hadn't of had the encouragement from people around her. Yet the passion was in there. The drive to succeed came from within. Far from our first assumptions, individuals will go far if they are just given the means. Yes, it will be a struggle in Uganda, alcoholism and gender inequality is strife and will no doubt make inequalities more apparent in the future. Yet amongst the difficulties lies ingenuity, determinism and hope.
From this I ask, are we doing the right thing when it comes to aid?
Is it right to select certain children for scholarships and school funding over others? I spent a week supporting a local school and each student showed a spark for the love of learning at different times and in different ways - some in Maths, some in craftwork, some in dancing and some in public speaking. Perhaps, it is not 'right.' Yet is it the only way to maximise what limited resources are available in this relatively poor country?
And lastly, are we in charge of our own destiny? It seems to me that the answer varies from country to country. Therefore, surely, the way we tackle the climate crisis cannot be standardised. We will have to fight climate change in different ways in different communities in order to be efficient and be as sustainable as possible.
Greenery - poverty + corruption = destruction. Over the past few years I had this 'belief' embedded into my brain. With ruin amongst the Amazon and Bornean rainforests, the submergence of waste off the coast of Somalia and sprawling slums and real estate in megacities like Mumbai, India, I believed that one of the major threats to the Earth today was the desire for profit - whether the purpose was to survive or to supplement a luxurious lifestyle, it did not matter.
To my surprise, I saw no sight without those familiar shades of green. The landscape was alive - even in the bustling capital city, Kampala, the streets seemed more alive than the entirety of the City of London. Of course, large swathes of land had been designated for monoculture - I stared at acres of tea leaves for a solid 10 minutes during one journey! Plus, the intense use of herbicides and pesticides became apparent in the towns and cities where agricultural shops were in their dozens. Much of the area is not in keeping with its natural ecosystem and I doubt these areas ever will be. Yet where on Earth can we find a whole ecosystem that hasn't been manipulated by it's human settlers?
For hundreds of metres into the distance, over lake, slum and city, glorious sights of luscious green landscapes could be seen. And with 10 listed National Parks, the same number as in England, is there more life here than in Earth's more developed regions? Have richer countries contributed more to ecosystem destruction in their own countries, colonies and abroad? Is Uganda an exception or has my rule of thumb been incorrect this whole time? Another success story has been seen in Brazil. Here, deforestation rates have reduced by 70% from 2004 and 80% of its primary rainforest remains untouched by human destruction. What are Brazil and Uganda doing that the UK is not? Isn't it time we gave them the voice they deserved at global conferences? Isn't it time for us to start taking lessons from non-Western countries? The clock is ticking.
Happiness - "mzungu, mzungu!" They called out as they leapt from the floor and chased after the 'person with the white skin'. Everywhere you went, a smile, and occasionally a mango or a passion fruit, was there to greet you. Being welcomed into their village, I can't deny that I was apprehensive; worried that my mzungu nature meant that I was viewed simply as the money-giving-passing-traveller. Worried that we would only be exposed to the Uganda that locals (and perhaps outsiders, also) would want us to see. Worried that I would leave the country and forever see it under false pretences. And yes, I'm sure this has happened. I did not wander into the depths of the slums. I did not use local washing facilities in the middle of the night and I stayed in hotels with security guards. We were given 'mzungu prices' at local markets, were flocked by children whose eyes were wild with fascination every day on visiting the school and we ate whatever food we wanted whenever we wanted it at the exact same school where the majority of the pupils receive only one meal a day.
Then again, I have never felt such compassion from a stranger. After 5 days, we had witnessed how locals live and how they interact with each other - on the street, at home, at school and in church. I saw smiles. I saw kindness and confidence. I saw life blossom in every direction.
I saw joy in every dance we were invited to join in.
I saw unity in the laughter stemming from us, the children, the mothers, the fathers and the teachers.
I saw friendship every time my hand was suddenly taken by another.
I saw love in every letter written out with my name on it.
I saw excitement in what each new day would bring to the community.
I cannot forget what was seen and heard and felt. I cannot forget what glorious happiness flourishes here amidst such hardship. I cannot forget being so content with life.
Thank you, my dear friends.
I cannot wait to return.
I shall say no more. For now, it is your turn.
Go on.
Go discover this beautiful land.
The Pearl of Africa.
H _ M
:)
If such a lack of control was to be found in the UK, I fear that much of the population would simply complain or give in to the system. Yet, in Uganda, this is not so! Throughout the cities, the slums and the rural communities, an entrepreneurial spirit thrives. Weaving banana leaves into bowls, making bracelets from newspaper and selling chapatis on the roadside produces supplementary incomes for many individuals. Unfortunately, when outsiders like us use only official documentations to analyse a country's development, these informal secondary and tertiary sectors are concealed. Thus, the outside world is unaware of the hidden ingenuity of the Ugandan people. As I accompanied one charity (which assisted people in creating a business by which individuals would pay money to charge their mobile phone via a solar panel), I got the feeling that with each solar panel installed, a quaternary sector became ever closer to emerging.
These people are not stuck in their ways. Take the story of Phiona Mutesi, for example. Phiona was born in Katwe, one of the largest slums in Uganda and was given the title World Candidate Master by the World Chess Federation in 2012 at the age of 16, just 7 years after dropping out of school with no qualifications. Given the opportunity to return to education through a scholarship, she now attends Northwest University in Washington, USA. If this story sounds familiar to you, perhaps you have watched the film Queen of Katwe, a film which depicts Phiona's life. I am in no doubt that luck was on her side. It could have been easy for her to slip through the system amongst the numerous other talents which have passed us by. Particularly so if she hadn't of had the encouragement from people around her. Yet the passion was in there. The drive to succeed came from within. Far from our first assumptions, individuals will go far if they are just given the means. Yes, it will be a struggle in Uganda, alcoholism and gender inequality is strife and will no doubt make inequalities more apparent in the future. Yet amongst the difficulties lies ingenuity, determinism and hope.
From this I ask, are we doing the right thing when it comes to aid?
Is it right to select certain children for scholarships and school funding over others? I spent a week supporting a local school and each student showed a spark for the love of learning at different times and in different ways - some in Maths, some in craftwork, some in dancing and some in public speaking. Perhaps, it is not 'right.' Yet is it the only way to maximise what limited resources are available in this relatively poor country?
And lastly, are we in charge of our own destiny? It seems to me that the answer varies from country to country. Therefore, surely, the way we tackle the climate crisis cannot be standardised. We will have to fight climate change in different ways in different communities in order to be efficient and be as sustainable as possible.
Greenery - poverty + corruption = destruction. Over the past few years I had this 'belief' embedded into my brain. With ruin amongst the Amazon and Bornean rainforests, the submergence of waste off the coast of Somalia and sprawling slums and real estate in megacities like Mumbai, India, I believed that one of the major threats to the Earth today was the desire for profit - whether the purpose was to survive or to supplement a luxurious lifestyle, it did not matter.
To my surprise, I saw no sight without those familiar shades of green. The landscape was alive - even in the bustling capital city, Kampala, the streets seemed more alive than the entirety of the City of London. Of course, large swathes of land had been designated for monoculture - I stared at acres of tea leaves for a solid 10 minutes during one journey! Plus, the intense use of herbicides and pesticides became apparent in the towns and cities where agricultural shops were in their dozens. Much of the area is not in keeping with its natural ecosystem and I doubt these areas ever will be. Yet where on Earth can we find a whole ecosystem that hasn't been manipulated by it's human settlers?
 |
| Tea Plantation in Uganda Source: Own |
Happiness - "mzungu, mzungu!" They called out as they leapt from the floor and chased after the 'person with the white skin'. Everywhere you went, a smile, and occasionally a mango or a passion fruit, was there to greet you. Being welcomed into their village, I can't deny that I was apprehensive; worried that my mzungu nature meant that I was viewed simply as the money-giving-passing-traveller. Worried that we would only be exposed to the Uganda that locals (and perhaps outsiders, also) would want us to see. Worried that I would leave the country and forever see it under false pretences. And yes, I'm sure this has happened. I did not wander into the depths of the slums. I did not use local washing facilities in the middle of the night and I stayed in hotels with security guards. We were given 'mzungu prices' at local markets, were flocked by children whose eyes were wild with fascination every day on visiting the school and we ate whatever food we wanted whenever we wanted it at the exact same school where the majority of the pupils receive only one meal a day.
Then again, I have never felt such compassion from a stranger. After 5 days, we had witnessed how locals live and how they interact with each other - on the street, at home, at school and in church. I saw smiles. I saw kindness and confidence. I saw life blossom in every direction.
I saw joy in every dance we were invited to join in.
I saw unity in the laughter stemming from us, the children, the mothers, the fathers and the teachers.
I saw friendship every time my hand was suddenly taken by another.
I saw love in every letter written out with my name on it.
I saw excitement in what each new day would bring to the community.
I cannot forget what was seen and heard and felt. I cannot forget what glorious happiness flourishes here amidst such hardship. I cannot forget being so content with life.
Thank you, my dear friends.
I cannot wait to return.
 |
| Two people ride on a motorbike in rural Uganda Source: Own |
Go on.
Go discover this beautiful land.
The Pearl of Africa.
H _ M
:)
H_M,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. It was great to have spent this time in Uganda. I am so glad that you have taken so many of the freely given riches of love and friendship away from this beautiful place.
Keep moving forward.
Thank you! Whoever you may be, I wish you a wonderful future. The world needs you.
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