Notes from Kampala

I've been in Kampala, Uganda for a week now.  For those of you unfamiliar with geography, Kampala is the capital.  It's a city designed to accommodate around 900,000 people, but it's pushing three million due to the influx of people looking for work and the inflow of refugees from neighboring countries.  Consequently, driving in Kampala is not pleasant.  And I've been stuck in traffic frequently this week.

The shooting, when I've been able to do it, is going well.  The camera that I bought for the project, a Sony Z-1, is amazing to work with - thank you Jacqueline for your time, advice and patience in helping me get the camera gear (she's very patient).  The problem is that I'm sharing a vehicle with others and that cut into the time I could shoot.  Then there were a couple of days where it poured rain, and this is the dry season.  I think someone forgot to inform mother nature about that.  It made shooting in the slum a muddy expedition. 

After one week here, I'm ready to get going and see some of the countryside and smaller towns, but we will remain here until Thursday - I think.  I could consult the schedule, but I haven't done that so far and I'd hate to break from tradition.

There are two non governmental organizations (NGOs) that have really stood out so far.  One is Bead For Life -  www.beadforlife.org.  Bead For Life teaches women, and some men, how to make beads from paper to create jewelry that the organization buys from the women and then sells at bead parties in the USA (think Tupperware) and online.  I spoke with a number of the women participants who described how it created more income so that they could send their kids to school, get better food and even buy homes.  The idea is to raise them out of poverty so that they can go on to do something else, not just bead for the rest of their lives.  Not that there is anything with a career in beading, that's just not the focus.

The other NGO that rocks is UYDEL.  They are working hard to help teenage commercial sex workers and other at risk kids get off the streets and provide them with vocational training.  UYDEL acquired 40 acres out of town and built a few modest buildings that they use to teach motor cycle maintenance, welding, hairdressing, catering, tailoring, plumbing and carpentry.  Participants choose a track and stick with it from 3 - 12 months depending on the program.  They also deal with substance abuse, trauma, environmental sustainability (they want to use solar and bio energy) and sex eduction.  They also have outreach programs in some of the city's slums.  The director had enough energy and enthusiasm on film for the other half dozen NGOs that I'll be working with on this trip.  Fantastic guy.

Tomorrow, our delegation from the USA arrives and that will kick the video production into high gear for the remainder of the trip here in Uganda and onto Rwanda and Kenya.  Ha ha, I didn't know I was going to be in Kenya for a few days.  Okay, I'll go read the schedule again.

For more photos from the first week, please visit the Uganda album I created.