Uganda Culture

Let me tell you a few cross cultural things about Uganda that I have learned.

President of Uganda is Yoweri Kaguta Musaveni. Elections for the Presidency will be March 6, 2011. It is best not to visit between February to April 2011. The population of Uganda is 33 million. Activities are coffee, lumber, minerals, tourism, agriculture is 80% Milet, Rice, Potatoes, Beans, Peanuts, vegetables and fruits. Exports are coffee, cotton, fish, hides and skins, tobacco and flowers. The average life expectancy is 53; males 52 years of age and females is 54 years of age.

Climate is 70-80 all year with 2 raining seasons; mid August to December and April to July. Political Organizations is the Local Council (LC) System. They have LC 1 (Village), LC 2 (Parish), LC 3 (Sub county which is 10 Parishes), LC 4 (County) and LC 5 (District level). There are 111 Districts in Uganda.

The official language is English, Luganda is next and Sweheii is the next language. However, there are 56 different languages in Uganda. I will be stationed in a region in the North that speaks Leb Lango. I don’t know yet where I will go, but I am thinking it is either in Lira, Guru, Padra or Kitgum. I have been informed that there are no Peace Corps Health Care workers in the North. Myself and another nurse are going up there, so I guess it will be part of our job to develop and implement the Healthcare program in the north.

The Health Care System in Uganda is ranked by Level of Care provided, i.e. HC 1, HC 2 (at parish level), HC 3 (Sub county level), and HC 4 (Sub-district Health Service), HC 5 (District Health Service, Regional referral Hospitals). We went to visit the Wakiso Health Care and we were told it was a HC 4. We were also told that they had 1, yes 1 doctor on duty with other healthcare workers. They see approximately 100 patients per day, they have 4 to 5 births per day. Now that is a working doctor! Major illnesses that they see daily: Malaria is number 1, then pneumonia, then HIV/AIDS and opportunistic diseases. They have a Lab, Clinical section (Diabetes, Maternal Health), Dental, OB, a small Mental Health clinic. Medications are only brought in every 3 months. They see approximately 330,000 patients/year.

I think that I have had every vaccine imaginable. We have had training in the most common illnesses that plague the people of Uganda, which is not just HIV/AIDs, but Malaria (everywhere), TB (High percentage in the North), Schistosomiasis, food borne illnesses, Skin problems i.e. fungal infections, ringworm, bacterial infections, nairobi eye, Mango-Worm Tumbu Fly, Scabies, and Rabies.

We heard that 50% of PCV’s get Schisto, a worm that lays eggs in the liver, spine, abdomen or somewhere in the body and causes many problems...no fear you can get treatment that will get rid of them and PC follows you when you finish service to make sure you are A Okay!) Schisto is in all water in Uganda, so we have been advised not to get in any lakes, rivers, streams, etc.

We not only studied about a Permagarden, we created one! Wow, we planted so many things.

The culture here is more verbal than the US, everyone talks to everyone. It is a relationship culture. If your neighbor has something you need, you give it to him and you are expected to give it to him, but mostly they Love sharing. Families, friends and neighbors share everything. When you come over to visit and/or for advise, the family fixes you a plate of food. They have breakfast; tea with food; lunch; tea with food again then dinner. I have eaten alot here. Depending on your Religious beliefs, men can have 1, 2 , 3, 4, or 6 wives. Men are expected to produce as many and more children than their fathers. I met one man the other day that had 31 siblings! It seems that women do all the chores (which is alot!) and care for the children; while men go to work. However, the unemployment rate is high in Uganda. Also, it is not unusual for women to greet their men by kneeing in front of them and/or the children kneeing to give their father something to eat. There is so much Respect for parents here and children really appreciate their parent and what they have been given. I also learned that when someone dies that the body is left in the house and everyone comes over and stays the night, even if they need to sleep outside on the grass if there are so many people. They do not leave the family or the body.

Anyway, we went to a PCV conference luncheon today and hear from the Director that we will have our swearing in at the US Ambassador’s home on October 21st. So keep praying that I learn the language!

Take care of yourselves.

Love & Light,
Mari